Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII-
by Cloud Cetra
Summary: Set seven years prior to the events of Final Fantasy VII. Zack Fair, an energetic SOLDIER 2nd Class who aspires to be a SOLDIER 1st Class like his SOLDIER 1st Class mentor Angeal Hewley. During an assignment, he discovers the internal affairs of Shinra and SOLDIER. Faced with a harsh reality, Zack seeks out his own path.
1. Introduction

Introduction

The world is caught in a struggle between the people's thirst for energy and their yearning to be free. The land lies on the brink of crisis and the only thing growing as fast as the Shinra Electric Power Company's riches is its list of enemies. Thanks to its momopoly on mako energy and growing influence across the planet, Shinra has become the envy-and target-of everyone. As the sole excavator and purveyor of the world's one true natural resource, Shinra is not about to let anything get in the way of it's expansion. But this sort of unbridled greed can only run unchecked for so long before rebellious factions take root.

Shinra is no stranger to violent protest and has historically countered any uprising with its own private army. But this is no longer enough-Shinra now needs SOLDIER.

SOLDIER operatives are the company's elite guard and, equally important, have become the face of Shinra. Organized into thre classes, it is the hope and dream of newcomers to one day ascend to SOLDIER 1st Class and be mentioned in the same breath as the legendary Sephiroth. SOLDIER 1st Class operatives not only defend the company, but are a boon to public relations. Members like Sephiroth, Angeal, and Genesis even have their own fan clubs!

It was this desire to one day become a hero like Sephiroth that drew young Zack to SOLDIER. At age 16 he's only a SOLDIER 2nd Class operative and still receives regular training and mentoring from his friend Angeal. Angeal accompanies Zack on his training missions and teaches him in the ways of combat, concentration, and honor. The word honor gets thrown around rather carelessly by some, but not Angeal. When he says it, he means it-and Zack knows it.

As Zack's role in SOLDIER evolves and his missions grow in importance, he begins to uncover the most sinister of secrets within Shinra. And yet, even when faced with horrifying truths that make him question his own origins, it is the mentoring of Angeal that keeps him centered and focused. He is SOLDIER and nothing will ever change that.


	2. Prologue

It was a nice quiet night over Midgar, until a train went speeding down the tracks, a Shinra helicopter following in close pursuit. The helicopter pilot announces over the PA, "Wutai troops have hijacked the Shinra Express MK93 II. The train is currently heading to Midgar Sector 8. A SOLDIER operative will be inserted to neutralize the situation. We're to proceed as scheduled. Commence mission i mark. Begin mission. Operative is ready for insertion."

Zack makes his way to the door. "The train has bee overrun by Wutai troops. Eliminate them and regain control of the train." Angeal tells Zack. "Oh yeah!" Zack replies. "Get serious!" Angeal yells at him, as Zack jumps from the helicopter and lands on the train. Zack gets up and smiles.

"Zack!" Angeal yells and lands on the train car with him. Zack turns around. "Zack, focus." Zack looks a little irritated at Angeal. "There are no Shinra troops on this train. Understood?" Angeal says as Zack nods and pounds his fist with a smile, as runs and makes his way to the front of the train.

Zack jumped onto one of the train cars, then all of a sudden, bullets started coming up through the celling. Zack danced every which way to miss the bullets, Zack fell down as one last bullets missed his hand. "Hello to you, too!" Zack said as he got up to start running again. More bullets shot through the ceiling as Zack continued running.

Zack saw Shinra troops getting on one of the train cars, but he remembered Angeal telling him that there were no Shinra troops on the train, but Zack didn't care. Instead, he grabbed his sword. "Come and get it!" He yelled, as he started to hack away at the troops. Zack saw some troopers with bazookas, Zack looked up and saw an opening. So just as they fired, Zack jumped through the opening, just as the shells exploded and came out the other end. "SOLDIER 2nd Class Zack, on the job!" And he detached the train cars and hopped onto the MK93 II and he sheathed his sword. The helicopter shined its spotlight on Zack. The helicopter pilot announced, "Train MK93 II re-routed to Sector 1 Station near Mako Reactor 1. Proceed to mission phase 2 and change surveillance rank..."

Zack hopped off the train. Then he got a phone call, Zack answered it. "Zack speaking." Angeal replied. "Making progress, Zack?"

"What's going on, Angeal? Why are we fighting Shinra troops?" Zack asked Angeal. "They're Wutai troops in disguise. Now, head to the open area above." Angeal ordered. "Towards Sector 8?" Zack replied. "Yes. But first you need to clear a path." Angeal replied. "Clear a path?" Zack replied, sounding confused. "You'll see what I mean. Be careful." Just as Angeal finished his sentence, Zack turned to see Wutai troops disguised as Shinra troops came running the stairs at the end and began shooting at Zack. "So, I can cut loose, right?" Zack asked Angeal. "Use some discretion." Angeal replied. "It's showtime!" Zack said as he drew his sword.

Zack eliminated all of the Shinra troops, and called Angeal. "Not too bad." Angeal said to Zack. "Piece of cake! I'll make 1st in no time!" Zack said proudly. "Go up the stairs at the end of the platform." Angeal ordered, and Zack made his was to the stairs. "You got it!" Zack replied and he put the cellphone away, and made his way up the stairs. Zack was running up some stairs, as civilians were running towards him. Zack made his way through the crowd and he encountered what caused the civilians to panic... a Behemoth! Zack drew his sword and engaged the beast. Once he had defeated the beast, a sword was drawn beside him. Zack raised his hands up.

"Showing your back to the enemy... Overconfidence will destroy you!" said a voice. Zack turned around to see that it was Sephiroth. Zack gasped. "Wh-What is this?" Sephiroth and Zack clash and they lock swords. "Damn it, you're not the only hero!" Zack exclaimed. "It's over." Sephiroth replies. Zack, not ready to give up, tries to lift up his sword, but Sephiroth breaks Zack's sword in half and Zack is sent flying back.

"Impossible!" Angeal exclaims as he puts his cellphone away, and he runs to save Zack. Sephiroth walks over Zack who's on the ground, Sephiroth gets ready to deliver the final blow to Zack. Zack closes his eyes, but he doesn't feel Sephiroth's blade pierce his chest. Zack opens up his eyes, and looks to see that his broken sword holding up Sephiroth's blade, but who was holding the sword? Zack turned to see that it was Angeal kneeling besides him. Angeal slowly pulls back Zack's broken sword. Getting up, Zack says. "Thanks, Angeal."

Standing up he looks at Sephiroth, Angeal takes out his cellphone and runs through a few of the options, and makes a selection that reads "Abort Mission?" and selects it. Then the holographic image of Midgar slowly breaks down. Angeal walks behind the Sephiroth hologram began to break down, to show the two in the Training Room on the 49th floor of the Shinra Building. Angeal turned around to Zack and said. "Training's over." Zack got up and replied angrily. "Wha? Why?" As Zack looks at him through the training goggles that read, "Mission Abort." Angeal points Zack's broken sword at him. Zack gasped. "You serious?" Zack threw off the training goggles. "I was just getting warmed up!" Flipping the sword around, Zack grabbed it, and he looked at the broken blade and sighed.

Angeal made his way toward the door, and said to Zack. "Zack." Zack turned to face him. "Embrace your dreams." Just as Angeal reached the door, Zack replied. "Huh?" Angeal stopped. "If you want to be a hero you need to have dreams." Angeal turned his head. "...and honor." And he left the room. Zack scratched his head as the door to the Training Room closed behind him.


	3. Embrace Your Dreams

The next day, Zack was doing squats on the SOLDIER Floor of the Shinra Building. Zack was still irritated and kept wondering why he was doing all this training, and not doing any assignment. A SOLDIER 3rd Class by the name of Kunsel, walked up to Zack. "Hey Zack, you seem a little on edge." Knusel said to him as he took a seat on one of the steps. "Can you blame me? All this training and no assignments. It's like they're hanging me out to dry. You must be pretty busy with everyone of base." Zack replied as he continued to do his squats. Kunsel didn't know what Zack meant, so he asked. "Off base?" Then it occurred to him that Zack must not have heard about the mass desertion, Kunsel stood up and replied. "Wait, haven't you heard? There's been a mass desertion at SOLDIER." Zack stopped doing his squats, and look at Kunsel, shocked at what he just said.

"It appears one of the 1sts deserted. He took a bunch of 2nds and 3rds with him, too. Nobody knows why he left, or what he's up to." Zack crossed his arms. "This mass desertion's the reason why your training's on hold." Kunsel explained to him. Zack and Kunsel turned to see Angeal walked in. "Heads up, a 1st!" Kunsel announced. Angeal turned to Zack. "Zack, new assignment." Zack was relieved to hear that. "Woo! Finally! Some real action!" Zack ran to Angeal, and replied. "This will be your show!" Zack pumped his fist. "Yes." Then Angeal replied. "Report to Director Lazard. We'll give you the details." Angeal made his way to the briefing room, where Director Lazard was.

Zack finally arrived in the briefing room, where Director Lazard and Angeal were sitting in front of some computers waiting for him, Lazard stood up. "Zack. It's good to finally meet face to face. Lazard, Director of SOLDIER." Lazard extended his hand for Zack to shake it. Zack shook his hand. "heyya!" Zack replied. Lazard then said. "On to business." Lazard turned to the computer, and began to type on it, and brought up a profile of the SOLDIER who deserted and it was projected on a big screen. Zack looked up to the screen. "M.I.A. Missing In Action" blinked over the picture of the SOLDIER member.

"SOLDIER 1st Class Genesis. A month ago, he went missing during a mission in Wutai. Know anything about this?" Lazard asked Zack. Zack, not even knowing about this up until now, replied. "Not a clue!" Lazard, wanting the war with Wutai to end, explained to Zack, that he was going in place of the missing Genesis. "The mission is currently stuck in limbo. That's why we've decided to send you." Zack, looking confused, looked to Lazard and replied. "Uh, to Wutai?" Lazard put his fists up to his chin. "Yes, this war has gone on long enough." Lazard replied.

"I've recommended you for 1st." Angeal announced to Zack. Zack, who couldn't believe what Angeal just said, became ecstatic and started to hug him. "Angeal! I love you, man! Ang-" Angeal shoved him away, Lazard started to laugh. "Don't make me regret this, Zack." Angeal replied. "Sir!" Zack replied, standing at attention. "Once you're packed. You'll leave at once." Zack prepared all the stuff that he needed for the mission in Wutai, and he returned to Angeal and Lazard. "We have to leave for Wutai soon. Are you ready?" Angeal asked. "I'm all set!" Zack replied.

Lazard turned to Zack, and said "I'll be joining you as well. I'm counting on you." Zack stood at attention, and replied. "Sir!" Lazard, wating to ask Zack what his dream was. "By the way, what is your dream?" Lazard crossed his arms. "To become 1st"...is it?" he asked. Zack replied. "No..." Zack put his hands on his hips, nodded his head and responded. "To become a hero." Lazard found Zack's reply amusing and replied. "Ah, good. Unattainable dreams are the best kind!" Zack, didn't know if Lazard was being replied. "Uh, thanks?"

It was nightfall when Angeal and Zack finally arrived at Mount Tamblin, in Wutai. "Fort Tamblin is straight ahead." Angeal explained. "Let's hurry, B Unit is standing by." Then two Wutai Private showed up with his weapons drawn. "You two! Identify yourselves!" he yelled at them, as three more Wutai Privates showed up. Angeal got ready to attack, but Zack drew his sword and said. "Just leave it to me!" Zack killed the three Wutai Privates and announced proudly, as he pumped his fist. "All right, next!" Angeal walked by Zack. "Calm down, Zack." he replied, as he walked by Zack. Zack shrugged. "No can do." Zack replied, knowing that Lazard was probably watching him from somewhere. "The director is watching from somewhere, right? I have to make a good impression." he replied, looking around for the director.

Angeal stopped walking. "Zack..." he said as he stopped for a moment. "Do you know about dumbapples?" Angeal asked him. Zack crossed his arms. "No, what's that?" Zack replied. Putting a hand up to his chin and one on his hip and said to himself. "Unbelievable...How can you not know about dumbapples?" Angeal walks off saying. "You'll never make 1st at that rate." Zack runs to Angeal, who continues to walk off, Zack replies. "Whoa, wait! What are dumbapples!?"

Angeal is still walking just as Zack finally catches up with him. "Hey Angeal, what's the deal with "dumbapples"?" he asked. Angeal turns around. "The official name is Banora White. The trees bear fruit at random times during the year. Because of that, the townspeople affectionately called them dumbapples." he explained. "The local farmers had plenty of them to spare." Zack took that as meaning that Angeal stole them. "Oh, really? So you stole them." Zack replied. "We were poor, Zack." Zack found "poor" to be a nice excuse, so he replied. "Nice excuse!" Angeal would then go on to add. "But even then, I had my honor. The largest Banora White tree grew on a wealthy man's estate. It was rumored that those apples tasted the best. But I never stole from that tree, because the wealthy man's son was my friend." Zack replied. "If he was a friend, you should have just asked for some!" he exclaimed, as he walked around with his hands behind his hand. Angeal raised a finger. "Honor can be quite a burden at times."

Zack put his hands on his hips, he didn't know how Angeal's story related to him, so he replied. "...And what exactly does this have to do with me?" Angeal crossed his hands and replied. "No story is not worth hearing." Zack didn't know if that was the answer to his question, but Angeal turned around and began to laugh as he made his way to the entrance to Fort Tamblin. Zack pointed at Angeal and replied. "What? That's it?" Zack chases after Angeal. "Yeah, well thanks a lot!"

Angeal was kneeling down on the ground, the entrance to Fort Tamblin was visible through the trees, Zack finally arrived. "B Unit will set off an explosion. That's our cue." Angeal explained. "The diversion will allow us to infiltrate." Zack added. "Right." Angeal replied. "I'll set the bomb inside the fortress. You'll charge the front gate, and..." Zack, knew that Angeal was going to explain what he was going to do, couldn't keep in his excitement as he replied. "Uh-huh, and? And? And? And?" Zack rolled his hands, as Angeal replied. "Indulge yourself." Hearing that Zack replied. "You got it! That's what I do best!"

Zack was getting impatient. "Come on, B Unit..." he said, waiting for the explosion. Angeal, however, wielded his sword and pressed it against his forehead and then he put the sword back onto his back. Zack who had never seen Angeal use it replied. "You know, I've never actually seen you use that." Angeal turned his head towards Zack. "Don't you think it's sort of a waste?" Angeal turned and faced Zack and replied. "Use brings about wear...tear...and rust. And that's a real waste." Zack didn't know if Angeal was being serious, replied. "You're serious, aren't you?" Angeal replied. "Yeah. I can be pretty cheap." Zack replied. Yeah, no kidding..." Just as Zack finished his sentence, the explosion from B Unit went off. "Begin mission." Angeal announced. Zack nodded, did a back flip, and the two set off to complete their objectives.

Zack made his way to the front gate, where a huge squad of Wutai troops waited for him. "No one passes beyond this point!" The Wutai Sergeant boomed. "The enemy is only one man! Obliterate him!" as he waved to the Wutai Privates to start firing at Zack. the Wutai troops tried their best, but they were no match for SOLDIER 2nd Class Zack. Twirling his sword and sheathing it on his back, Zack proudly pumped his fist. "All right! Piece of cake!" he replied, as he made his way inside Fort Tamblin.

Zack kelt down on top of the fort entrance and saw a Wutai Sergeant and two Wutai Privates. Jumping down, Zack drew his sword. "Enemy attack! It's SOLDIER! Don't let him get through!" ordered one of the Wutai Privates, but were eliminate like an arrow piercing an apple. Zack then got a phone call. Zack opened up his cellphone. "Did you manage to get inside the fortress?" Angeal asked Zack over the phone. "Piece of cake! I could have done it blindfolded." he replied proudly. "Don't get too careless. I've heard that Wutai keep a monster for anti-SOLDIER purposes. It should be somewhere inside Fort Tamblin." Angeal added. Zack wondered if he eliminated the anti-SOLDIER monster, would he become 1st? "If I take it out, do you think I'll make 1st?" he asked. "I depends on the quality of work. Your main duty is to draw the Wutai troops to you by running amok. Do that well, and the director will give you a favorable evaluation." Angeal replied. Zack knew he could do that easily, so he replied. "Oh, that'll be easy! Just leave it to me!" Zack puts away his cellphone away and began his assault on Fort Tamblin.

Zack looked in every nook and cranny, every watchtower, and every hidden doorway within Fort Tamblin. Finally, Zack reached the entrance to the courtyard of Fort Tamblin, when his cellphone rang again. Zack answered it thinking it was Angeal again, but it wasn't Angeal...it was Lazard. "Well done, Zack. We have successfully occupied Fort Tamblin. I was really only expecting you to get their attention. Most impressive, I must say. I'm very pleased with the results thus far. Proceed to the next objective." Zack closed up his cellphone away, and made his way into the courtyard of Fort Tamblin.

Once inside the courtyard, Zack found this weird looking fountain sculpture of a dragon. "What is this?" Zack asked. "That is Wutai's guardian deity, Leviathan." The Crescent Unit Captain announced. Zack realized that he wasn't alone, turned around as three Crescent Unit Captains emerged in their silver armor. "We are the Crescents, The Wutai army's elite unit!" he announced. "We appease the wrath of Leviathan, and smite the enemies of Wutai." Then he added. "Our beloved homeland has been brutally ravaged by Shinra."

"I heard that if we could process the mako here, it would help the people live better lives." Zack tried to explain to them. "But then you attacked us without even hearing us out!" The captain knew that Zack could never understand the pain they went through. "What do you know of the pain we suffered?" he asked. "Shinra has continually brought fear and oppression to the innocent people of Wutai!" Zack remained silent. "I would like to ask you one last thing. Are you satisfied in using your immense power to serve an evil organization like Shinra? Does it bring you joy to torture innocent people?" Zack tried to speak by say. "That's not what I..." But the captain interrupted him give Zack one last chance by reasoning with him. "If you have any remorse in your heart, then atone for your actions by joining our cause!" Zack still gave no response. "Of course, we cannot pay you much, but you can use your power of in the name of justice!"

Zack couldn't believe what he was hearing from the Crescent Unit Captain, so he replied. "Justice...? Is that really the case? Is it so terrible to provide mako to make their lives better? I don't know...But I chose to serve Shinra. Whatever happens, I have to stand by that decision." Zack wields his sword, the captain knew he was a fool for reasoning with Zack, so he responded. "I was foolish to think that I could reason with villains." Zack defeated the three Crescent Unit Captains, the captain then replied to Zack. Zack defeated the three Crescent Unit Captains. The captain wondered why Zack didn't finish him off. "Why do you not finish me?" he asked, as Zack made his way towards the arena. "I don't know. Not in the mood, I guess." Zack replied. "As long as we breathe, we will continue to target Shinra." he replied. "I promise...one day, I will have your head." Zack looked at him and replied. "Fine, I'll be waiting." And he made his way towards the entrance to the arena.

"One, avoid unnecessary training! Two, protect Wutai at all costs! Three, ugly Shinra SOLDIER dudes...must be PUNISHED!" said a voice. Zack looked around to see who said that and looked up to see a little girl. "Who are you?" he asked her. "I'm Wutai's greatest warrior! If you wanna go further, you have to go through me!" she replied. "A kid...? You shouldn't be playing here, it's dangerous! Go home to your parents!" Zack told the kid. "You're the one who's going home! If you insist on going any further, you'll have a fight on your hands!" she responded back, as she ran to up to Zack. "Oh, man... What am I supposed to do here?" Zack asked himself, as the girl ran up to Zack and pretended to start attacking him. "Whap! Pow! Bam! Take that, ugly guy!" she said continuing to fake attack him. "Arrrgh! Noooo! You got me!" Zack replied getting down to one knee. "There! That'll teach you to mess with me! Once again, I've brought peace to Wutai!" she replies as she runs off. "Boy oh boy... You gotta admire that energy... Well, back to work, I guess..." Zack replied as he got up and entered the arena.

Zack enters the arena, and once inside the building, he noticed dust coming down from the ceiling. Zack jumps out of the way, just as two anti-SOLDIER monsters drop into the center of the arena. Running to face the monsters, Zack wields his sword. "You must be the anti-SOLDIER monsters I've been hearing about." he says, before he begins to fight them.

Zack defeats the two anti-SOLDIER monsters with ease, then Zack gets a phone call, Zack answers his cellphone. "SOLDIER 2nd Class Zack, victorious once again!" he answered. "Good work. Now get out of there quickly. There's only 5 minutes until detonation." Angeal ordered. "Understood!" Zack replied.

Zack looked to see if Director Lazard was watching him. "Director Lazad, are you watching?" he asked. "Gotta move!" Zack made his way towards the entrance, when another anti-SOLDIER monster comes out of the ceiling. Zack knows he had no time to waste. "No time to play!" Zack booms, but as he tried to leave, the monster attacked. Zack wielded his sword, took a giant leap at the monster, and he supposedly killed the monster. Zack take a closer look to see if he killed it, but just as he did, it got up and hit Zack into a column. Zack crawled on the floor, he knew the situation was bad. "Not good..." as Zack had his back up against the column. The monster was about to deal the final blow to Zack, when the monster fell forward.

Angeal had his sword drawn, as Zack looked on at him. "That's one more you owe me." he said as he walked over to him. "You lost your focus." he added. "Uh, yeah?" Zack noticed that Angeal used his sword to defeat the monster added. "Oh, sorry if your sword got any wear, tear, or rust on it." Angeal put his sword on his back and replied. "You're a little more important than my sword." he turned and pinched his thumb and index finger together. "...But just a little." he chuckled and let out a hand to help Zack up. "Thanks." Zack replied as he grabed Angeal's hand.

Angeal and Zack were walking along an animal trail, Lazard is seen running, he catches up to them. "Sorry to keep you waiting. I'm not use to being on site." he said. "You didn't have to come." Angeal replied, but he needed to see the outcome of the operation for himself. "This operation will being an end to the war. I have to see it through personally." he then turned to Zack. "SOLDIER 2nd Class Zack." he said. "Sir!" Zack replied as he stood at attention.

"You performed your duties admirably at Fort Tamblin. I saw it with my own eyes." Lazard says as he gave Zack his evaluation. "Frankly, my evaluation of you is..." he pauses. "You are a frightening individual. Not any man could annihilate an entire enemy force by himself." Angeal added. "I was taken aback. You have really grown into a fine warrior." Zack put a hand to the back of his head, acting a little shy. "Your bravery during the Wutai war will be remember for generations to come. It seems your dream of becoming a hero has already come true." But Angeal knew Zack was nowhere near being a hero added. "Let's not get carried away, director. Zack still has a lot to accomplish." Lazard replied. "Ha, ha, I guess you're right. Zack, I hope you'll continue to excel." Zack put his hands on his hips, and stood proudly.

Angeal knew there was no time to waste, they had to get going. "Now, let's hurry. Sephiroth is waiting." Angeal replied as he and Lazard walked off, but Zack stayed back trying to keep calm. "Sephiroth?! The SOLDIER hero? Wow! I get to meet a hero!" Zack said not able to hold back his excitement. Zack heard a noise and turned around, then he was surrounded by weird looking troops. Zack wielded his sword and eliminted the troops.

Zack looked at the dead bodies, none of them looked like Wuati troop, but before he could get a better look. "Zack! come on!" Angeal yelled at him. Zack caught up with them. More of the weird troopers lay dead on the ground. Zack heard footsteps, an as he turned around, more of the weird troops showed up. Angeal, seemed to know who they were and went to face them. "Take the director to a safe place." he told Zack. "Then contact Sephiroth." replied Lazard. "Zack is more than enough. Now go." Angeal ordered. "Follow me, director." Zack replied as he and Lazard left, Angeal stayed with the weird troops.

Zack and Lazard encountered two infantrymen, who were waiting for them. "Thank goodness you're safe, Director Lazard." said one of the infantrymen. "I should be fine now, Zack. Go and assist Angeal!" Lazard replied. "I know, I know!" Zack replied and he mad his way back to where they left Angeal.

"Angeal! Angeal!" Zack yelled, but Angeal was nowhere to be found, all that were there was some of those dead looking soldiers. Zack went over to investigate. "What? these guys aren't Wutai troops..." he said to himself. Suddenly Zack saw a red materia floating in the air, a red circle with weird inscriptions circled the red orb, it exploded and Zack was transported to a weird place.

Zack found himself in a weird looking place that was on fire. Zack turned around, to find himself face to face with a summon by the name of Ifrit. It occurred to Zack, that the red materia floating in the air earlier, was a Summon Materia. "A summon? Who called it out?" Zack wondered.

Zack battled Ifrit, but he could not finish it off. Just as Ifrit threw a fireball at Zack, Sephiroth blocked the fireball. Readying his sword, Sephiroth runs and slashes and kills Ifrit. The red orb falls to the ground, and the the two of them are transported back to the Wutai forest area.

"Holy..." Zack replies, as Sephiroth walks over and kneels down next to the two dead troopers and removes one of the masks, to reveal Genesis' face. Zack walks over "Genesis..." he replies. Zack, who hear him say the name of the missing SOLDIER 1st Class member. "The missing SOLDIER 1st Class?" he said as Sephiroth removed the mask of the other trooper, his too also had Genesis' face. "They're identical!" Zack replied. "A Genesis copy..." Sephiroth responds back. Zack couldn't belive what Sephiroth just said replied. "Copy? A human copy?"

Sephiroth, wanting to know where Angeal is, turns to Zack. "Where's Angeal?" he asks. "I thought he was fighting around here..." Zack explains to him. Sephiroth, finds it suspicious. First Genesis goes missing, and now Angeal's missing as well, too. "Humph, so he's gone, too." Sephiroth replied. Zack, didn't know what he meant. "What?" Sephiroth gets up. "Wait, what does that mean?" Sephiroth stops and replies. "It means Angeal has betrayed us as well."

Zack couldn't believe what Sephiroth was saying. Zack disagreed with him 100 percent. "No way! I know what kind of guy Angeal is! And he'd never do that!" he yelled at him as Sephiroth walked off. Sephiroth stops and turns to face Zack. "Angeal wouldn't betray us! Never!" Zack yells and stammers off.


	4. Betrayal?

Zack was going over what happened in Wuati. He said to himself. "Man, what is with Angeal? How long is he gonna slack off like this? It's been a month now! Sephiroth's got it all wrong, too! Lumping Angeal together with Genesis! Genesis is a deserter who took a bunch of 2nds and 3rds with him! He used his copies to attack us! Angeal would never condone something like that! He valued his SOLDIER honor more than anyone else! Ugh! Everything's so messed up these days! Angeal! Just come back, please!"

Zack was doing his usual squats on the SOLDIER Floor, when his cellphone rang, Zack answered his cellphone. "SOLDIER 2nd Class Zack?" said a person on the other end. "That would be me. Who is this?" Zack replied hoping to get a name, but the person didn't say his name, all he responded with was. "Director Lazard wants to see you. Go to the briefing room." Wanting to get his name, Zack replied. "Hey! Wait!" but the person on the other end hung up before Zack could get his name. "Who was that?" Zack wondered.

Zack made his way to the briefing room where Director Lazard. Zack probably thought Lazard had information on Angeal's whereabouts. "Any word on Angeal?" he asked, but Lazard shook his head which meant no. "He hasn't contacted his family either." Zack was disappointed, but Zack new Lazard had something else for him. "So, what's this about?" he asked. "A new assignment. I want you to go to the hometown of our missing SOLDIER 1st Class, Genesis." Lazard replied. "Huh?" Zack wondering why Lazard wanted him to go there for. "According to the parents, they've had no contact with Genesis whatsoever." He explained. "But, they can't be trusted." Zack wondered why they couldn't be trusted. "Why?" he asked as Lazard turned to him. "They're his family." he replied. Zack rolled his eyes and he scratched his head. "I had already dispatched some staff, but we lost contact." Two guys in suits appeared on Lazard's computer monitor, "SIGNAL LOST" read beneath their pictures. "I want you to go and investigate. He will go with you." He turned his head, as a man in a black suit walked in and stood between Lazard and Zack. "Tseng, of the Turks." Zack looked at him, then back at Lazard. "This job is looking really gloomy..." Zack said to Lazard. "Let me know when you are ready to go." Tseng replied.

Zack got ready to go on his next assignment and he returned to Tseng who was waiting for him inside the briefing room. "Ready to go?" he asked. "A routine job, right? No sweat" Zack responded proudly. "I wonder..." Tseng replied, knowing that Sephiroth was assigned this mission, but refused. "Originally, Sephiroth was assigned to this mission. That means it's a top-priority matter. Be alert, or you'll fail." Tseng added. Zack, wondering why Sephiroth wasn't going on this mission. "And Sephiroth?" he asked Tseng. "Refusing to go, apparently." he replied. Zack knew that Sephiroth would never use an excuse like that replied. "Oh, what is that? They spoil him too much!" Tseng put his fist underneath his chin and replied. "Why don't you say that to his face?"Zack, put his hands together and said, "Uh, no thanks!" as Zack smiled and tilted his head.

A Shinra helicopter landed in an open area in front of some weird arched looking trees with weird looking fruit on them that cover the pathway to a small village. Zack and Tseng made their way down the pathway, Zack looked up at the weird looking trees as they walked underneath them. "Weird looking trees." he said to Tseng. "They're Banora White trees." he said as he turned to face Zack. "AKA dumbapples." Zack knew that they must be in Angeal's hometown of Banora. "Wait, that means we're in Banora?" Zack crossed his arms. "Angeal's hometown?" he asked Tseng. Now, Banora was not only Angeal's hometown, but Genesis' hometown as well. "That's correct." Tseng replied. "Genesis and Angeal have known each other for a long time." Zack uncrossed his arms. Zack and Tseng continued along the pathway, and they encounter two lone enemies that Zack battled before while on his mission in Wutai... Genesis copies!

Zack ran up and defeated the two Genesis copies. Zack has seen these guys before, but why were they here in Banora as well? "These guys! I saw them in Wutai, too!" he said to Tseng. "So they are here." Tseng replied. "We haven't seen any of the townspeople. They may have taken control over the entire town. When Genesis deserted, he took a whole arsenal of weapons. The president's orders are to retrieve or destroy those weapons immediately upon discovery." Zack pumped his fist. "Leave it to me." he replied and they continued on towards the village.

Zack arrives at a large farmhouse, there was an offline Guard Spider in front of the house, there were also two Genesis copies as well. Zack defeated the copies, and the Guard Spider came online. It locked onto Zack, and sent a cannon shell at him, but Zack sliced the shell in two and it exploded behind him. The Guard Spider headed towards Zack. "The president won't be disappointed!" he replied as he fought and defeated the Guard Spider. Zack then removed the masks from one of the dead Genesis copy, and stared at Genesis' face.

"A Genesis copy..." Zack replied. Tseng walked by Zack. "Where did you hear that?" he asked. "Sephiroth said it." Zack replied. Tseng stopped walking. "The technology was stolen from our scientists." Zack did know what Tseng meant. "Huh?" he replied. "It apparently allows Genesis' abilities and traits to be transplanted... to SOLDIER members... and monsters." Tseng added. "SOLDIER and monsters... were the same?" Zack asked as he tried to put two and two together.

Zack walked up to the destroyed Guard Spider. "It's not gonna start moving again, is it?" Zack asked. Tseng knew this was no time for screwing around, replied. "Zack, stop playing around. We have to hurry." Zack returned to Tseng, the both of them have yet to see any of the townspeople yet. They made their way into the village of Banora. They arrive at a house with a single huge Banora White tree.

"This is Genesis's home. His parents are wealthy landowners." Tseng explained to Zack, who was staring at the Banora White tree. "But I never stole from that tree, because the wealthy man's son was my friend." Zack remembered Angeal saying to him back in Wutai. Tseng walks past Zack and stops. "They weren't mere acquaintances. They grew up together, and were best friends." he explained. "So Genesis deserts and gets his best friend Angeal to join him..." Zack walks up to Tseng, Tseng turns around. "Is that it?" Zack asks. "Sephiroth believes that's the case." Tseng replied as Zack and Tseng notice something. "There." They both see a mound of dirt with rocks onto, marking a gravestone. "A grave stone. Still very new." Tseng replies as he turns to Zack. "Zack, go find Angeal's house. I'll check the grave." Tseng orders as he goes to investigate the grave site. Zack wondered if the Turks always did this sort of stuff. "Ugh, so do Turks always do this stuff?" he asked Tseng. "Somebody has to do it." Tseng replied to Zack, who stopped walking. "Must be rough..." Zack replied, but Tseng didn't seemed bothered. "Don't worry. We're paid much better that you are." he replied. "No way!" Zack responded back. "Zack go check Angeal's house. It should be in the group of houses over there. Be careful, the area maybe under the enemy's control. " Tseng said to Zack. So Zack made his way down to the group of houses.

"Let's see, Angeal's house is..." Zack said as he looked at the group of houses as he tried to look for Angeal's house. "I have no idea! I'll just have to check each house..." Zack searched each house, but thought he'd never find Angeal's house, but he opened the door to the last house and went inside to find an old lady sitting at a table. She looked at Zack, who shut the door behind him.

"Can I help you?" she asked Zack politely. "Uh, greetings, ma'am! Are you Angeal's mother? My name is Zack he replied." The woman tried to think of Zack's name, and remembered Angeal writing about him. He gave Zack the nickname "Zack, the puppy". "Are you Zack, the puppy?" she asked. "Excuse me?" Zack replied. The woman chuckled. "My son wrote to me once about you." she replied. "Zero attention span, restless as a little puppy." Zack knew that sounded like what Angeal would say about him replied as he crossed his arms. "Thanks, Angeal..."

The Angeal's mother wondered if Zack was here with Genesis. "You're not...here together with Genesis, are you?" she asked. "No, I'm not. Don't worry." Zack replied. Angeal's mother was worried about him. "What is happening with my son?" she asked ash she turned to Zack. "I'm not really sure." he replied. She looked away from Zack. "Genesis came back here, a month ago, with an army of cohorts. And they proceeded to take the lives of many townspeople. Genesis...he used to be such a good boy..." she explained to Zack. Wondering if Angeal came back here too. "Is Angeal...?" he was going to ask, but paused. "He came here." she replied and she glanced at Angeal's sword, Zack looked to see it resting up against the wall. "But he left his sword and went off somewhere." Zack walked over to the sword. "That sword represents our family's honor." Now Zack knew why Angeal hardly used his sword in combat. "I...see no wonder... He never uses this sword, really ever." Zack replies to her as he kneels down next to her. "I'll take care of Angeal. You should go and hide somewhere." But Angeal's mother doesn't see concerned and replies. "Don't be concerned. Genesis...cannot harm me." she replies. Zack gets up, but before he leave, Zack stares back at the sword, finally Zack heads back outside.

"Angeal... Where did you go?" Zack says to himself. Then he turns and hears a crashing sound. "What!?" he replies as he runs to investigate, and he finds Genesis copies. "Genesis copies!" he says as he fights and defeats them. Zack's cellphone starts to ring, Zack pulls out his cellphone and answers it. It's Tseng, "There is a factory on the outskirts of town. I saw a Genesis copy go inside." he explained. Zack wondered if that was the Genesis copies headquarters. "Do you think that's their headquarters?" he asked Tseng. "Most likely." he replied. "I'm currently on a cliff overlooking the factory. A frontal attack is inadvisable. We'll go inside from above. Come to the clifftop immediately."

Zack put his cellphone away, and made his way to the cliff where he found a kneeling Tseng waiting for him. Zack knelt next to him. "Genesis's parents were in that grave." he explained to Zack, who was surprised to hear that, replied. "Wait, he...his own family." But Tseng didn't want it to come to that conclusion, replied. "We can't expect reason from him. What about Angeal?" he asked Zack. "He wasn't at the house." he replied. "But please, give me time! If I find Angeal, I can talk to him. If I can convince Angeal, maybe Genesis will come back, too!" Now Tseng knew why Sephiroth refused the mission, he didn't want fight against his only friends. "I understand now why Sephiroth chose you." he told Zack. "Huh?" Zack replied. "Genesis and Angeal. Those two were Sephiroth's only friends. He didn't want to fight them. That's why he refused the mission." Tseng told Zack. "Well, Angeal is my friend, too!" Zack replied. "He's counting on you to bring them both back." Tseng replied as Zack looked at him. "Time is short. Lets go." And the two made their way into the facility.

Zack crash through the ceiling of the facility and he landed on a metal catwalk, Zack looked around. "Infiltration successful!" he told Tseng. well. Three Genesis copies came running towards him as Tseng dropped down through the ceiling as well, Tseng had his gun drawn. "Go on ahead. I'll take care of things here." he told Tseng. So Tseng ran on ahead. Zack defeated the copies and looked for Tseng. "Zack, this way." he said to Zack, who turned to face him. "Keep an eye out for enemies." he added.

Zack made his way to the ground floor and found Tseng at the other end of the factory. "Zack, this way." Tseng said. Zack made his way towards Tseng, who was on a computer. Zack walked over to him. "Looks like the copies are being made here." he explained to Zack. "Check the second floor. Genesis may be there." Zack made his way to the second floor of the factory, and sure enough, Genesis was there sitting on the floor, who began to quote a verse from a piece of paper that he was reading, as Zack entered the room.

_Infinite in mystery is the gift of the goddess We seek it thus, and take to the sky Ripples form on the water's surface The wandering soul knows no rest. _He smiles at Zack, as he put a piece of paper that he was reading from back into his pocket. "Humph. Settle down... Zack the Puppy." he said to Zack, who growled at him, as he got into a fighting stance. Tseng came running upstairs and looked inside a huge container, with a Genesis copy inside. "The grave at the house... We found the remains of our people there as well." Tseng replied to him. Genesis didn't seem to care. "It didn't take much to have them send false reports. Just some mild threats..." he replied. They would have done that anyway! At least your parents would have." Zack snarled back at him. Genesis stood up. "My "parents" betrayed me. They had always betrayed from the very beginning." he replied. "What do you know? Shinra lapdogs!" he yelled as he sent a fire spell that hit Tseng and sent him to the ground. Zack readied his sword to strike, but Angeal walked in, grabbed Zack's sword, and stood between him and Genesis.

"Welcome, partner." Genesis said to Angeal, who pointed his sword at him. "I see... You've finally made your decision. I'll respect your wishes, old friend. However..." He walks up beside him. "Can you really live on that side?" he replies and walks off. Angeal turns to follow Genesis. "Angeal!" Zack replies as he tries to follow him, but Angeal pushes Zack back and sticks Zack's sword in the floor and walks off. Zack pulls his sword out of the floor and chases after him.

Zack returns to the main floor of the factory, but Angeal and Genesis were nowhere to be found. "Damn! Where did he go? Did he leave the factory?" Zack wondered, so Zack made his way to the exit. The huge doors to the factory opened up and two Guard Hounds came into the factory, Zack grabbed for his sword, but he heard two shots from a gun and they killed the Guard Hounds. Zack turned around to see Tseng, who had his gun drawn, but Tseng put it away. "There's no time. We have to leave now." Tseng explained. Zack wondered that was that? They weren't going to even look for the two. "We're not gonna go look for those to?" he asked as Tseng walked up to him. "All evidence of misconduct must be erased. Company rules." he explained. "An airstrike will neutralize this town." he added as three more Guard Hounds showed up. "Are you sure there's nobody at Angeal's house?" he asked Zack, who remained silent. "Hurry!" Tseng replied Zack, and Zack ran for Angeal's house, while Tseng fought the Guard Hounds.

"I hope Angeal's mom is all right..." Zack said to himself. "I need to hurry!" he replied to himself as he ran as fast as he could to Angeal's house. Zack arrived at Angeal's house, when his cellphone rang. Zack answered his cellphone, it was Tseng. "I briefly explained our situation and had them delay the airstrike... That will buy you sometime." he explained. "Thank you, Tseng." Zack replied as he put his cellphone back into his pocket and walks into Angeal's house.

Zack walks into the house to a shocking site, he find Ageal's mother on the floor...dead. Angeal is standing up against the wall behind him, his sword drawn. Zack grabs him by the chest. "What the hell did you do, Angeal!?" he says as he puts him up against the front door and punches him and Angeal falls to the ground outside. "Is that...is that your idea of honor!?" Angeal, who's still on the ground and as he gets up, and replies back. "My mother...could not continue to live. And neither can the son." Zack knew what Angeal just said made no sense at all, yelled back at him. "What are you talking about! What's going on here!?"

"I told you..." Genesis replied as Zack looked at him as he stuck his head through the door way. "You can't live on that side anymore." Angeal put his sword on his back and began to walk away. "Angeal!" Zack yelled as he tried to run after him, but Genesis tripped Zack, and he fell to the ground. "Angeal!" Zack yelled again, but Angeal paid no attention to him, and continued to walk away. Genesis began to quote a verse again.

_My Friend, do you fly away now? To a world that abhors you and I? _"Shut up!" Zack yelled at Genesis, but he paid no attention. "Shut up! I'm warning you!" Zack yelled again, but Genesis continued. _All that awaits you is a somber morrow No matter where the winds may blow_ Zack gets up, as he sees Genesis holding another Summon Materia, but which summon will it be this time? "I don't see Sephiroth today, but...are you game?" he replies as a blue circle surrounds the materia, and Zack is transported to a world with swirling winds as a winged dragon summon by the name of Bahamut is seen flying around him. Zack readies his sword, as it lands in front of him. "A summon!? So that's how it is, huh!?" Zack battles Bahamut, and defeats the huge summon, and as Bahamut disappears back into the floating red Summon Materia, the materia falls to the ground in front of him. Zack walks over to the materia, picks it up, and is transported back to the Banora Village.

Clenching his fist, Zack snaps at Genesis. "Summons aren't meant to be used like this! What happened to dreams and honor?" Genesis doesn't even turn to look at him. "We are... monsters." he replies as Genesis puts a hand up to his face, and as he extends his arm out to his side, a black wing extends out from Genesis's right shoulder, black feathers begin to fly everywhere as Zack looks at him. He turns his head. "We have neither dreams nor honor." he replies and flies off. Zack looks at all the black feathers circling around him, and as one falls into his open hand, he clenches it in his fist. "SOLDIER..." he replies, as he looks towards to the sky. "...doesn't mean monster."

Shinra bombers began to drop their payload, as they flew over the village of Banora, the bombers didn't miss a single target. The dumbapple orchard, the farmhouse, the largest Banora White tree and Genesis's house, all the houses in the Banora Village along with Angeal's house with Angeal's mother's dead body, and even the factory went up in flames. Zack watched as the bombers began to fly away, after they had finished their bombing run, Zack approached a cliff. A Shinra helicopter flew in front of Zack, the cabin door opened with Tseng in the doorway to help him into the helicopter. Zack turned to look at the village of Banora, looking at all the Banora White trees that were all in flames, their fruit withering away as they fell to the ground. Zack closed his eyes and bowed his head. "Angeal..." he said to himself, and he got into the helicopter with Tseng, and they returned back to the Shinra Building.


	5. Abominations

Zack and Sephiroth entered a secret facility, scattered inside the room were research documents that Hollander stole. Sephiroth walked down some stairs. and looked into a pod that was inside the room.

"A wretched site..." he said and walked away. He then picked up one of the research documents and began to read it. Zack walked up to the pod that Sephiroth was looking in and looked to see what was inside, and inside was a monster like the one from before. "There's a monster inside. Is this where they make the copies?" he said as he walked over to Sephiroth.

Sephiroth then told Zack abouth the documents laying about in the room. "These are...highly confidential research documents that Hollander stole." he told Zack. "The stolen documents were in regards to "Project G," "Degradation," and "Ancients." he explained. "Some of them may have been left here. Search this area carefully." he told him.

Zack walked over and read one of the documents that was laying next to Sephiroth:

"Project G - Summary"

Objective: Implant the cells of an Ancient into a human fetus to imbue said fetus with the Ancient's abilities.

Zack didn't even understand a word he just read from the report. "Ugh..." he said as he hunched over. Sephiroth looked over at him. "It was Hollander's experiment. The result was a normal child. Which meant he failed. However..." he explained.

Zack found another document and read it:

"Report on the SOLDIER Degradation Phenomenon"

The heightened abilities of SOLDIER members are maintained by a delicate balance of various genetic factors.

A change in this balance could only be caused by a "leak" of genetic information, but this is not possible under normal circumstances.

This phenomenon is unique to the SOLDIER Type G.

Zack still didn't understand what he read from this report either. "I'm feeling woozy..." he said as Sephiroth walked over to him. "It was before Genesis deserted." he explained to him.

Sephiroth explained to Zack that the wound that Genesis sustained in the Training Room was superficial, but still Genesis wasn't healing, so him and Angeal took Genesis to get treatment. He also explained that the man treating Genesis was Hollander. Hollander explained that Genesis needed a transfusion. He told Zack that he volunteered for the fusion, but Hollander told him that he wasn't the right donor. "Why couldn't I be the donor...?" he asked himself as he looked back at the pod that contained the copy. "A SOLDIER Type G..." he added, as he walked away and picked up the report that he was reading earlier.

Zack read the last report that was in the room:

"The Ancients Project - Outline"

It is now an undisputed fact that the life form excavated from the earth is indeed of the ancient race spoken of in legend.

Furthermore, history records that these "Ancients" channeled the power of this planet to tear the earth asunder.

Using the cells of the unearthed Ancient, we have begun research on creating an mass-producing a race with comparable abilities.

The primary objective of this research is to significantly reduce mako excavation costs.

After he finished reading the last report, Zack returned to Sephiroth. "Project G gave birth to the man we know as Genesis." Sephiroth told Zack. "Project G..." Zack replied. "Project Genesis." Sephiroth added. "Contrary to this report, Genesis showed clear signs of change." Sephiroth told Zack.

From reading the reports, Genesis must be suffering from the "Degradation" pehnomenon. "Degrading?" Zack asked Sephiroth. "Not only that." Sephiroth replied. Zack then remembered the copies from Wutai, Banora, the ones that attacked the Shinra Building, and the one in LOVELESS Avenue. "Copies...?" Zack asked, as Sephiroth walked over and looked into the pod containing the copy. "Abomitations..." Sephiroth added. Just then Hollander walked in. "S-Sephiroth!?" he said, surprised to see him. "Hollander. I thought I'd find you here." Sephiroth as he looked at him.

Hollander must have overheard them talking about the degradation process, because he bolstered saying that he was the only one capable of stopping it. "The degradation process...only I can stop it." he explained.

Genesis dropped down between Hollander and Sephiroth, his sword drawn. "Genesis." Sephiroth said. Genesis pointed his sword at him. "You won't take Hollander." Genesis told him, and with that Hollander ran off. "Zack! Go after Hollander!" Sephiroth order Zack. "Yeah." Zack replied, and he went chasing after Hollander.


	6. Where Are You?

Back on the SOLDIER floor, Zack has been anxiously trying to reach Sephiroth on his cellphone, but Sephiroth isn't answering it. "Come on, pick up!" Zack says, as he puts his cellphone back into his pocket.

A SOLDIER 2nd Class named Luxiere, can see that Zack is having trouble trying to reach someone. "Who are you trying to call?" he asks. "Sephiroth. I haven't been able to reach him in ages." Zack replies. Luxiere knows why Zack can't get a hold of Sephiroth, and he explaines to Zack why.

"Haven't you heard?" Luxiere asks. "Mr. Sephiroth has locked himself in the data room and hasn't come out. Headsets are prohibited in the data room, so there's not much you can do." he explains.

Zack, who didn't know that they even had a data room. "Data Room?" he replied, and he crossed his arms. Luxiere also explained what Sephiroth was actually doing in there. "He's apparently researching the history of the Shinra Science Department." he said to him.

"Oh..." Zack replied, as his cellphone rings. Zack pulles out his cellphone, and answered, it was Aerith. "Aerith, what's up?" he asked her. "Um, I wanted to ask... When are you going to make it for me?" she asked. "Make wha...oh!" he replied.

Zack knew Aerith called to ask him about when he was going to make her the flower wagon. "The flower wagon, did you forget?" she asked him. "No, of course I didn't forget! Hold on, I'll be right there." he replied, and he put his cellphone away in his pocket and made his way to the curch.

Zack arrives at the market in the slums, and while he's walking away, Angeal drops down behind him. Zack, turns around and is suprised to see him. "Angeal!? Where have you been!?" he asks him, a little angry. "Apologies. But, I am a busy man." he explains to Zack why he hasn't been around lately. "Yeah, yeah... I haven't been able to contact Sephiroth, either." Zack replies. Angeal wonders why Zack wasn't able to get in touch with him. "Has something happened?" he asks. "Not really. He's just been holed up in the data room, reports an such." Zack explained to him.

Angeal turns around to leave. "I see..." he replies. "Hey! Now where are you off to?" Zack asks him. "I just don't know with you, these days." Angeal briefs Zack on his new assignment. "Genesis and Hollander are in Modeoheim." he explains. Zack wanted to know why he's telling him all this. "You came to tell me that? Are you actually...working?" he asks Angeal. Angeal replies, "I'm still SOLDIER at heart, I suppose. I've informed Lazard as well. They'll come and pick you up soon." And with that, Angeal flies off for Modeoheim.

Zack makes his way to the chuch and as he walks up the stairs of the church, another friend has arrived as well, but this time it's Tseng. "Zack, I need you in Modeoheim." he explains. Zack knows that he's needed there, but he wants to explain to Aerith that the flower wagon will have to wait. "I know, just give me a minute." he replies to Tseng. "Aerith isn't there. Problem?" he replies.

Zack turns around, finding it a little suspicious that Tseng knows about her. "And how is it you know Aerith?" he asks Tseng curiously. "It's complicated." he explains to Zack, as a Shinra helicopter arrives to take them to Modeoheim. "Really..." Zack responds.

Tseng also wants to know if she has told Zack anything about what she is. "Did she tell you anything?" he asks Zack. "Not a thing." he says to Tseng. "Then I won't either." Tseng replies, as the helicopter touches down on the ground.

Tseng turns, and walks towards the helicopter. Zack, a little depressed that he didn't get to say goodbye to Aerith. "Hmm..." he groans. "Well, whatever, I guess." And as he walks away, a white feather lays in front of the doors of the church. "Whaaatever..." he replies, and the white feather flies off with the wind.

Zack, Tseng, and two Shinra Infantrymen are in the helicopter that had picked up Zack from in front of the church in the Sector 5 Slums, was heading towards Modeoheim, when all of a sudden, the helicopter crash landed in the snow-covered mountains near the Modeo Ravine. Zack was laying face down in the snow, the snow that covered his legs and back fell off as he got on his hands and knees.

"Ugh...well, that's a fine how-do-you-do!" Zack responded as he got up, as he looked around for Tseng and the two infantrymen, but he didn't see them anywhere. "Tseng! Hey, guys!" Zack yelled as he looked around for them some more. Then Zack heard some noise behind him. Zack turned around to see Tseng and the two infantrymen getting up and brushing the snow off their clothing.

Tesng pulls out his cellphone to phone for help, but there was only one slight problem...no signal. "No signal out here." he replies as he put his cellphone away. Zack makes his way back to Tseng and the two infantrymen. "Well, at least we're all in one piece. We'll be alright." he replies. "Thankfully, we have someone used to this terrain." Tseng replies.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm a country boy..." Zack replies back as he shaked is head back and forth. Tseng walks past Zack. "All right, then. We would have reached Modeoheim by now if we hadn't crashed. So we're going to have to make up for lost time." Zack takes point. "All right, follow me, then." he says as he move his hand in a forwards motion.

Zack, Tseng, and the two infantrymen press on towards Modeoheim. Tseng and one of the infantrymen were falling behind, so he turned around. "Yo! Don't fall too far behind!" he yelled, as he looked at the other infantryman keeping pace with him. "At least someone's keeping up!" Zack replied. "Well, I'm a country boy, too." he replied with a smile. "From where?" Zack asks with curiously. The infantryman stopped walking and paused. "Nibelheim." he replied quietly as Zack started laughing. "How about you?" He asks Zack. "Me? Gongaga." Zack responds with a smile as the infantryman laughs.

Zack now wonders what the infantry finds so funny about Gongaga, perhaps the infantryman has heard of Gongaga. "Hey, what's so funny about that! You know Gongaga?" he asks the infantryman. "No, but it's such a backwater name." he replies. Zack also finds Nibelheim to be a backwater name as well. "Ditto Nibelheim." he replies, and Zack continues on. The infantryman also believes that Zack hasn't been to Nibelheim either, so why is Zack making assumptions? "Like you been there?" he asks Zack.

Zack hadn't been to Nibelheim, but Shinra has a mako reactor situated on top of Mt. Nibel there. " I haven't, but there's a reactor there, right?" he asks the infantryman, who nods back. "A mako reactor outside Midgar usually means..." he responds as they both look at each other."...nothing else out there." Zack and the infantryman reply at the same time as they both crack out a laugh. Zack turns around, Tseng and the other infantryman have finally caught up with them. "Good news, Tseng! Me and..." Zack turns to the infantryman, who begins to take off his mask. "Cloud." the infantryman replies. "Me and Cloud here are both backwater experts. Oh yeah!" Zack replies to Tseng. as he and Cloud press on. "Good. Carry on then." Tseng replies as the continue on towards Modeoheim. Zack and Cloud arrive at a ridge. "Phew..." Zack replies, exhausted from all the walking. "Let's wait a bit." They both turn around as they watch Tseng and the infantryman catch up.

Cloud, is a little curious and he wants to ask Zack what SOLDIER is like? "Hey, Zack, uh..." he says to Zack. "Hm?" Zack replies. "Um... What's it like to be SOLDIER...?" Cloud asks Zack. Zack is a little confused about what Cloud just asked him. "I don't quite get the question." he replied. "Um..." Cloud replied, trying to come up with a different way of putting it. "Well, once you join, you'll know what it's like."

Cloud drops his head, a little depressed. "If I can join, that is..." he replies. Zack, can see Cloud's depressed, so, he tries to cheer him up. "Don't sweat it! If I can do it, you can, too." he replies to Cloud. Zack looks forward and he puts a hand above his eyes and glances at something in front of him. "Cloud, look." he responds, as the two sneak up and they see a huge facility, with Genesis copies patrolling the perimeter. Tseng finally catches up with the two. "That's a mako excavation test site." he explains to them. Zack decides that he'll go and check out the facility. "I'll go check it out." he replies.

"Our primary objective is to investigate Modeoheim. We can't afford to lose people here." Tseng explains, but seeing that there are Genesis copies are patrolling the site, means that something must be going on there. "At the same time, we can't ignore the activities of the Genesis Army. Therefore..." he adds, but Zack interrupts him. "Infiltrate while avoiding combat, right?" he asks. "Exactly." Tseng replies. There's an entrance at the back of that warehouse. Once you're inside the facility, you can do, as you like." Zack is delighted to hear that, Now he can prove how SOLDIER members avoid combat. "You got it. I'll prove that SOLDIER isn't all about muscle and brawn. You watch carefully too, Cloud." he replies, as he looks at him. "Uh-uh." Cloud responds. Zack made his way down to the entrance of the facility. Once he saw an opening, he infiltrated the facility. Zack found lots of objects that hid him from the Genesis copies line of sight. After a bit, Zack finally entered the facility. Once inside, he found an elevator inside and got on it.

Genesis and Hollander were inside the facility, having a nice little chat, well not really a nice one. "What's the meaning of this?" Hollander asked, taking steps backwards. Genesis walked towards him, his sword pointed at him. "You need me Genesis, remember that. If you get rid of me, who's going to stop the degradation?" he asked him.

Genesis and Hollander both stopped walking, and the elevator Zack was on arrived. "The Jenova cells." he replied, and as the elevator gate opened, Zack grab is sword, and attacked Genesis. Hollander tried to escape, but Cloud grabbed him. "Stop!" he yelled. "Cloud! Good work!" Zack replied, but Hollander broke free, and Cloud fell to the ground. Zack stood in between him and Genesis.

"But...nobody knows where the Jenova cells are being kept!" Hollander yelled. "Not even Hojo knows. You'll never find it!" Genesis readies his sword. "Then I shall willingly accept my fate." he replies as he runs a hand along the blade of his sword. "But, I'll take the world with me!" he yells, and him and Zack start fighting each other. Hollander runs off as Cloud gets up. Cloud looks at him and Genesis. "Cloud, go!" Zack yells at him. Cloud nods, and chases after Hollander.

Zack and Genesis fight back and forth, their blades cling and clatter, trading blows back and forth. After a long and grueling fight, Zack finally defeats Genesis. Genesis begins to quote a verse from LOVELESS.

_Dreams of the morrow hath the shattered soul  
>Pride is lost<br>Wings stripped away, the end is nigh_

Genesis tries to stand up, but he collapses. "Such is...the fate of the monster." he replies. "We are not monsters, you hear me? We're SOLDIER!" Zack replies. "Where's your honor?" he asks him. Genesis gets up and starts to quote LOVELESS again.

_Even if the morrow is barren of promises  
><em>_Nothing shall forestall my return_

Genesis walks backwards, and stops. "If this world seeks my destruction..." he replies, as he flies onto the railing. "...it goes with me." Genesis falls back and goes falling into the darkness. Zack runs to the railing, and watches Genesis fall, until his body is gone. "Genesis... Zack replies as he looks away. Seeing that there's nothing else to do here, he leaves the facility and returns to Tseng and Cloud outside.

Zack exited the facility, and looked up at the ridge where Tseng was before, but both of them were gone. "Tseng? Hmm...Cloud's gone, too." Zack said as he turned and saw a tunnel. "Hm? I guess this is the way to Modeoheim..." So, Zack went through the tunnel and arrived in Modeoheim. Zack still hadn't bumped into Tseng or Cloud, and was getting a little worried. Zack entered a bathhouse. As Zack ventured in the bathhouse, he encountered a monster. Zack defeated the monster, and while investigating it closely, it had Angeal's face on it. "An Angeal monster..." he said to himself.

Zack walked up some stairs, and he finally found Cloud and Tseng, but they both had took a beating. Zack found Cloud lying face down on the floor. "Hey!" Zack yelled, as he ran over to Cloud. "Ngh..." Cloud replied as he got up. "Cloud! Talk to me!" Zack replied. Cloud tried to stand up, but fell down. "We're all right..." Cloud replied. Zack looked to see Tseng lying down beside a doorway. "Tseng!?" Zack replied and he ran over and knelt down next to him. "Tseng!" Zack replied again. Tseng pointed down through the doorway. "Down there... You have to catch Hollander." Tseng replied as he dropped his hand. "Angeal...is waiting for you." he added. Zack got up and made his way deeper into the bathhouse, to confront his mentor, Angeal.

Angeal was stand in the center of the room, when Zack finally arrived and he entered. Angeal turned his head. "It should have been me..." he told Zack. "I should have dealt with Genesis." Zack wonder if he should have delt with him. Why did he have him do it. "Yeah...then why did you send me?" Zack asked.

Angeal turned around and pointed the Buster Sword at him. "To prepare you...for your next fight." he replied. Zack now thought Angeal had finally lost it. "Have you lost it?" Zack asked. Angeal slashed the Buster Sword at Zack. Zack, who didn't want to fight his mentor, replied. "Stop it!"

"Someone's waiting for you, no?" Angeal asked him. Zack knew that Angeal was talking about Aerith. "Angeal...don't do this..." he replied, as he wielded his sword. The two of them clashed with each other, when Hollander entered the room.

"Very good Angeal! It is time to exact vengence for our family's suffering!" he replied. "Family!?" Zack replied, as he looked at Angeal, a little confused. "No! My father is dead!" Angeal replied, as he parried Zack's sword.

"Fine, then do it for your mother." Hollander said to Angeal. "My mother's shame made her take her own life." Angeal responded. Zack looked at him in awe. This whole time, Zack thought that Angeal killed her, but it turns out she committed suicide.

"Shame? How terribly misguided! She should have been proud..." he paused. "Proud that she was the namesake of our experiment. "Project G," or should I say, "Project Gillian." Angeal grabbed him by the collar. "Don't say her name!" he replied.

Hollander put his hand on Angeal's wrist and pushed it off him. "Gillian, the woman implanted with Jenova cells. Genesis, who had her genes mapped onto him during the fetal stage. Yes, Genesis was a failure, I'll admit it. But you, Angeal..." he paused. "You were actually bred inside Gillian's body. You...you are perfection." he replies as he raises both arms into the air.

Angeal pushes Hollander out of the way. "Zack, I am perfect. A perfect...monster. My cells can absorb genetic traits, and pass them along to others." he explains to Zack. "A two-way conduit... Jenova's power has passed onto you completely." Hollander replies. Angeal smirks at him.

"Zack, do you remember what I said? About our enemy being all that creates suffering?" he asks Zack as he walks past him. "Yeah...but your not one of them." Zack replied. "But I created my own suffering." he responds, and he turns to face him. "Zack, let me show you." Zack turns around and looks at Angeal. "Stop it! You don't know what you're doing!" Hollander yells at him.

Angeal raise his hand up into the air, and one of each Angeal assembled in the room, Zack turned around and wielded his sword. "Damn! At least one sample!" Hollander yelled, as he ran up to Angeal, and tried to get a sample of his hair, but Angeal pushed him back, and Hollander fell to the ground.

The Angeal copies ran towards Angeal. "Angeal!" Zack yelled, as the Angeal copies past him. Zack turned to see the copies huddled over Angeal. A bright light began to envelope Angeal. Hollander ran away, as the light became so bright, that Zack could barely see what was going on.

When the light finally disapated, Zack look back to se what became of Angeal, but he didn't like what he saw. What used to be Angeal, was a monster with four legs, four whip-like tails, it was holding a shield in one hand, and a trident in the other. Angeal looked like a griffin, but instead of an eagles head, Angeal's torso and head were in it's place. The monster took it's trident, and made a large cut on Zack's left cheek. Zack clenched his fist. "Angeal, what happened to honor!?" he yelled as he wielded his sword, and prepared to fight his mentor, Angeal.

Zack's emotions were running high in this fight, mainly because he was going up against his friend and mentor. With every swipe he took at the monster, Zack was wondering if he was hurting Angeal as well. All Zack wnat more, was for Angeal's suffering to stop. After awhile, Zack finally defeated the monster.

Zack was standing over Angeal's degrading body, white feathers litter the ground around him, Zack was depressed. "Zack, you have my thanks." Angeal replied, as Zack knelt down beside him. "This...is for you." he replied as he raised up the Buster Sword, and held it in front of Zack. Trying not to cry, Zack grabbed the Buster Sword. "Protect your honor, always..." Angeal replied and with one finally breath, Angeal was gone. When Zack had seen that Angeal had died, he gasped. Standing up, Zack remembered everything that he had taught him, and he put the Buster Sword in front of his face and sighed. As he lowered the Buster Sword, it began to rain.

Zack returned to the church in the Sector 5 Slums, Aerith was looking up at the sunlight shine through the hole in the church and wondered about the sky above. "Hey, Zack?" she asked. "The sky is closer in the city above, right?" Aerith stood up. "Kind of scary, but the flowers might like it...maybe." She looked over to Zack, who was sitting on the floor crying. Walking over to him, she knelt down next to him, and wrapped here arm around him. Zack gave himself a new hairdo, and the cut had finally healed, although it left a scar, but Zack didn't care as he stood up and put the Buster Sword on his back and walked forward.

Zack was walking in front of rows of Shinra Infantrymen standing at attention, when he stopped and put a hand on one particular person standing in front, which he recognized as Cloud. "So you want to be in SOLDIER? Hang in there." Zack told him. "So, is everybody here now?" he asked them. "Sir!" they all replied. Zack stopped walking. "You're all rookies, right?" he asked them. "Sir! Yes sir!" they all replied. Zack looked at all of them and said, "One piece of advice...no, an order." Zack wielded the Buster Sword, and he place the blade on his forehead. "Embrace your dreams." he told them, as he lowered the Buster Sword. "And, whatever happens, protect your SOLDIER honor." he added. "Got it?" he asked them. "Sir!" they all replied. "We're all coming back here alive, you hear me?" he asked them, as he raised the Buster Sword into the air. Let's go." he told them.


	7. How Does It Feel?

Sephirith, Zack, Cloud (who was wearing his Shinra helmet), and one infantryman arrived in the village of Nibelheim. As they made their way into the village, Sephiroth, knowing that this was Cloud's hometown, asked him. "So, how does it feel? To be home after all this time? I have no hometown. I wouldn't know."

Zack wonder, if Sephiroth was born, he had to have had parents or a family. "Uh...what about family?" Zack asked Sephiroth curiously.

Sephiroth turned and faced Zack and replied. "My mother's name is Jenova. She died shortly after I was born. My father..." Sephiroth paused, wondering why he was saying what he was, laughed and put a hand to his forehead and replied. "Why am I talking about this?" Sephiroth turned around and said, "Come on, let's go." and he and the two infantrymen made their way into the village.

Zack remained at the entrance, puzzled after hearing Sephiroth say that his mother had the same name as the life form that was unearthed over 2000 years ago. "Sephiroth's mother is Jenova? Huh..." he muttered to himself as he crossed his arms. Finally. Zack entered the village of Nibelheim.

As Sephiroth walked up to the inn that they were going to be staying at, a girl by the name of Tifa Lockhart, came up to Zack and asked him, "Are you one of the SOLDIER people who've come to investigate?" Zack and Sephiroth turned to look at a teenager in a cowgirl type outfit. "Yeah, my name is Zack, and I'm with SOLDIER. 1st Class, mind you, 1st Class!" Zack replied to Tifa. "Huh." Tifa replied back.

Zack was curious why she went "Huh." Replied back, "What do you mean, "Huh"?"

Tifa was curious to know if there were more SOLDIER 1st Class operatives, "Are there a lot of SOLDIER 1st Classes?" she asked Zack who replied. "Nope, we're a small, elite group." Tifa, wonder why they only sent two, replied. "They only sent two?"

Zack turned to Sephiroth and replied, "Yeah, me and Sephiroth." Tifa turned around. "Uh-huh." She replied as she began to walk off, as Zack shrugged, she turned around. Zack saw Tifa turn around, and he freaked out a little. Tifa looked like she was going to as him something, but she ran off. "Weird girl." Zack said to himself, and he made his way back to Sephiroth.

Sephiroth turned to Zack and said, "We depart for the reactor at dawn. Make sure you get plenty of sleep."

He then replied to Cloud and the other infantryman. "Only one of you needs to keep watch. Make sure you get some sleep as well." Sephiroth was about to walk into the inn, when he remembered. "Ah, that's right. You have permission to go visit family and friends, if you so wish." Sephiroth walked into the inn.

"Niebelheim, huh." Zack said to Cloud. Zack then turned to Cloud, wondering why he was wearing his helmet asked. "Why are you wearing the mask?" Cloud replied. "It's...personal." Zack replied. "Weirdo." Zack entered the inn to get some rest, but before he did. Zack saw Sephiroth staring out a window. Zack walked up to Sephiroth and asked, "What are you looking at?" Sephiroth, still looking at the familiar landscape, replied. "This landscape... I could swear I've seen it before."

The next day. Zack, Sephiroth, Cloud, Tifa, the infantryman, and a cameraman, were in front of Shinra Manor. Zack, surprised to find that Tifa was their guide, turned to her and said, "Tifa! You're our guide?" Tifa replied to Zack, "At your service!" The cameraman got his camera ready and said, "Okay... Say cheese!" As he got ready to take the picture, Zack, didn't look too happy in the picture.

"Nobody is a better guide in this town." Tifa said proudly as they made their way up the dangerous pathway to the mako reactor. "But it's too dangerous!" Zack replied, concerned for Tifa's safety. "We can't get you involved in something like this!" Sephiroth knew that Tifa would be safe with them, replied. "She'll be fine, if you protect her." Zack killed a monster, Cloud walked up to it to get a better look at it, but Zack said, "Stay back, it's just knocked out. It could wake up and start chowing down on you!" Zack then went on to how he uses the Buster Sword, and how he keeps it in good shape. "Use brings about wear, tear, and rust. So usually, I just hit with the blunt side."

Finally, they arrived at the mako reactor, Sephiroth walked up towards the entrance. Tifa, wanting to see the inside of it with them. So she ran to Zack, who turned to face her, and she said, "I want to go inside and look, too!" But Sephiroth turned around and shook his head and replied. "This is a top- secret facility. Non-Shinra personnel are not permitted inside." Tifa, still persistent on going inside, replied. "But..." Sephiroth, still knowing that rules were rules, turned to Cloud and said, "Keep the young lady safe." Sephiroth and Zack made their way up the stairs to go inside the facility. Tifa tried to follow them, but Cloud ran in front of her and put his hand up and shook his head. Tifa began to pout in disgust.


	8. Am I a Human Being?

Once inside the facility, there were sealed pods on both sides of the room. Sephiroth and Zack made their way up the stairs. Sephiroth stopped half way, but Zack went all the way to the top of the stairs, where at the back of the room was a sealed chamber, the words JENOVA labeled over the doorway.

"JENOVA...interesting. The door is...sealed, of course." Zack turned around to make his way back to Sephiroth, but he stopped. "Jenova...?" Zack gasped, as he looked back at the sealed chamber, then he looked down at Sephiroth, who was walking down the stairs and stopped in front of some pods. Sephiroth looked at one of the pods, "This is the cause of the malfunction. This section is broken." He explained to Zack as he arrived at Sephiroth. "Zack, go seal the valve." Zack went to go turn a crank to seal the valves on that side. "Why did it break?" Sephiroth wondered.

Zack made his way back Sephiroth, who backed away from the pod that he was looking into. Zack looked into the pod, but when he looked inside the pod to see its contents, he saw something not even human. Zack gasped. "What is that...?"

Sephiroth, decided to tell Zack about how they're not the same as normal human beings. "You average SOLDIER members are mako-infused humans." Sephiroth explained, "You're enhanced, but you're still human." Turning back to the pod. "But then, what are those things? Their mako energy levels are exponentially higher than yours." he replied, as Zack looked back into the pod again. "Are they...monsters?"

Sephiroth walked away from the pod, Zack followed his as he replied. "Yes. The Shinra scientist Hojo was the one who created them." Sephiroth turned to face Zack. "Abominations spawned by mako energy... That's what monsters are."

Zack, knowing that Sephiroth was no "average" SOLDIER member, decided to ask him. "You said, "average" member. What about you?" It finally occurred to Sephiroth, that Zack was right, he wasn't an "average" member. So he put his hands to his face and looked away. Zack rushed over to him. "Hey, Sephiroth!" Zack said, trying to comfort him, but Sephiroth pushed Zack away.

"Could it be...that I...?" Sephiroth remembered the monster in the pod. "...was created the same way?" Sephiroth said to himself. "Am I the same as these monsters?" Zack returned to Sephiroth, who opened up the pod with the monster inside. He continued to tell Zack. "I knew, ever since I was a child... I was not like the others. I knew mine had to be a special existence. But this... This is not what I meant." Holding up his hands, Sephiroth said to himself. "Am I...a human being?"

"No such luck. You're a monster." Said a familiar voice, as a fire spell hit Zack to the ground, but Sephiroth stretched out his hand and blocked it. Genesis landed behind Sephiroth, his black wing stretched out. Genesis began to test him. "Sephiroth... You were the greatest monster created by the Jenova Project." Zack replied weakly. "Genesis... So you are alive!" Genesis replied. "I suppose I am, if you can call this living." He put a hand upon his hair, his brown hair was beginning to turn white due to the Degradation Process.

"What is the Jenova Project?" Sephiroth asked Genesis, wanting to know more about the Jenova Project. So Genesis began from the beginning.

"The Jenova Project... was the term used for all experiments... relating to the use of Jenova's cells."

Sephiroth turned to look at the sealed chamber labeled JENOVA and replied. "My mother's...cells?"

Genesis began to test him even more. "Poor little Sephiroth... You've never actually met your mother." Genesis took a seat on one of the steps and continued. "You've been only told her name, no? I don't know what images you've conjured up in your head, but..."

"Genesis, No!" Zack interrupted him, but Genesis continued. "Your mother...was excavated from a 2000-year-old rock layer. She's a monster."

Sephiroth couldn't believe what he was hearing. Could what Genesis be saying be true? Was Jenova actually a monster?

"Sephiroth...I need your help. My body is continuing to degrade." Sephiroth turned away. Genesis gets up and yells at him. "SOLDIER 1st Class Sephiroth!" Genesis walks to Sephiroth, telling him more about the two different branches of the Jenova Project.

"Jenova Project G gave birth to Angeal..." He turned to face him. "...and monsters like myself. Jenova Project S..." Zack, who was shocked as well that their was another Jenova Project besides G. Zack replied. "S...?" Genesis continued. "...used the remains of countless failed experiments to create a perfect monster."

Sephiroth, didn't know why Genesis was telling him all this hogwash, so he asked, "What do you want of me?" Genesis replied. "Your traits can't be copied unto others. Your genes can't be defused. Therefore, your body cannot degrade." Genesis walked parallel to Sephiroth, and says to him, "Share some of your cells with me." Genesis turns head to Sephiroth and quotes a verse from LOVELESS. "_My friend, your_ _desire._" He turns to Sephiroth, and holds out a dumbapple, and continues. _Is the bringer of life, the gift of the goddess._"

Sephiroth looks at Genesis holding the dumbapple, he then looks up at the words JENOVA, and while he stares at the name, a vision of Jenova flashes before Sephiroth's eyes. "Wheather your words... are lies created to decieve me... or the truth, that I have sought all my life... it makes no difference." Sephiroth says to Genesis, as he knocks the dumbapple out of Genesis' hand, and says to Genesis, "You will rot." Sephiroth walks off.

"I see...perfect monster, indeed." Genesis replies and begins to quote LOVELESS again. "_When the war of the beasts brings about the world's end. The goddess descents from the sky. Wings of light and dark spread afar. She guides us to bliss, ...her gift everlasting._" Genesis leave the reactor, Zack gets up and yells. "No, Stop!" Zack chases after Genesis, the dumbapple lay on the step.


	9. The Nibelheim Incident

Zack walked out of the inn, to find the village of Nibelheim set ablaze, but who could have done this? Zack thought. Was Sephiroth behind this? Zack looked around and saw Cloud laying on the ground. Zack ran to Cloud, whose only words were. "Sephiroth..."

Zack made his way towards the pathway to Shinra Manor. That when he saw Sephiroth. "I'm coming to get you." he said, and he made his way through the fire, probably heading towards the Mako reactor. Zack ran after him, but turned around and looked back at the burning village of Nibelheim. "How could you...? Sephiroth, how could you...?" Zack wondered, as he made his way to Mount Nibel.

Zack made his way into the mako reactor, Tifa lay on the ground holding her chest. "Sephiroth did this, didn't he?" he asked as he let out a hand to help her up, but she cowered away in fear. Zack, mad at Sephiroth for hurting Tifa, got up and made his way to the sealed chamber. Zack stopped halfway and looked back at Tifa. "I hate you! I hate Shinra, I hate SOLDIER! I hate you all!" Tifa yelled at Zack. Zack, now enraged, grabbed the Buster Sword, and took one huge swipe and destroying the sealed door, and went to confront Sephiroth.

Zack walked into the chamber, and heard Sephiroth talking to someone, but there was no one there, just some weird looking machine. "Mother, let's take back the planet together. I...I had an epiphany. Let's go to the promised land..." Sephiroth paused. "Mother..."

"Sephiroth!" Zack yelled. "Why did you kill the townspeople? Why did you hurt Tifa? Answer me, Sephiroth!" Sephiroth didn't seem to care, instead he laughed and continued to talk to himself. "Mother, they're here again. You should have ruled this planet. You were smarter, stronger. But then the came." staring at Zack, then back at Jenova. "Those inferior dullards. They came and took this planet away from you. But don't be sad, mother. I am with you now..."

Sephiroth began to pull away the metal machine. "We meet at last, mother..." he says as he looks at the human being inside the container, the words JENOVA written on the helmet it was wearing

Zack took the blade of the Buster Sword, and pointed it at Sephiroth's neck. "Sephiroth! Have you completely lost your mind?" he asks him. Sephiroth takes his sword, and pushes Zack back.

"Sephiroth...I trusted you!" Zack replies as he jumps at him and they clash swords, but Sephiroth sends Zack down onto a glass platform inside the mako reactor. Zack lands on the platform and takes a look around, Sephiroth lands gracefully on the platform. The showdown between the perfect monster and the "average" SOLDIER member, was about to begin. Zack and Sephiroth trades clashes back and forth, it was basically a stalemate the whole time, but Zack managed to get the upper hand over Sephiroth.

Zack was on one knee, and as he got up and looked at Sephiroth. "No, you're not-you're not the Sephiroth I once knew!" he yelled and he points the Buster Sword at him.

Sephiroth stretched out his arms and replied. "I am the chosen one. I have been chosen to rule this planet." Flipping over his sword, Sephiroth sent an energy blast from his sword right towards Zack.

Zack blocked the blast, but the glass broke into tiny pieces. Zack and Sephiroth were now on a ledge. Zack knew that he could not be pushed of the edge or he'd be sent into the reactor. Zack and Sephiroth began fighting again. Sephiroth was going to swipe at Zack jump back up to the chamber where they were before, but before Zack could catch his bearings, Sephiroth landed right in front of him. Sephiroth lunged at him, but Zack blocked his sword with the Buster Sword, however, Sephiroth sent Zack flying out of the chamber and Zack crashed on the stairs of the mako reactor, too weak to get up. Sephiroth turned his attention back to Jenova, the Buster Sword's blade pierced the ground.

Sephiroth's attention was to Jenova, when Cloud walked in and grabbed the handle of the Buster Sword. Sephiroth's eyes were stilled to Jenova, as Cloud ran at him, Sephiroth put his hands on the glass as a cracked showed in the glass. Sephiroth turned around to see Cloud, the Buster Sword piercing his chest, as Cloud pushed it in deeper and pulled it out of Sephiroth's chest. Sephiroth hand slowly slid down the glass.

Cloud made his way back to the room where Zack was, Cloud had Tifa in his arms as he looked up to see Sephiroth come out of chamber, Jenova's head in one hand, his other hand carrying his sword. He looked at Cloud. "How dare you...!" he replied weakly.

Cloud looked at Zack, who said weakly as well. "Cloud...finish Sephiroth off..." Cloud nodded at Zack and grabbed the Buster Sword. "Sephiroth!" Cloud yelled as he charged at him. They both clashed swords, but Sephiroth was much stronger than Cloud, sent him through the open chamber.

Cloud lay on the ground inside the chamber, unarmed, the Buster Sword was sent across the floor. Sephiroth came in and plunged his sword into Cloud's chest. "Don't...test me!" he replies as he lifts Cloud into the air. Suddenly, something happens to Cloud. Looking at Sephiroth, Cloud grips Sephiroth's sword and lifts him into the air.

"No...! Impossible!" Sephiroth looks amazed as he's completely off the ground. With a mighty heave, Cloud sends Sephiroth into one of panels, and Sephiroth is seen falling into the depths of the reactor.

Zack looked up to the chamber, waiting to see who was going to reemerge from the chamber. Was it going to be Sephiroth or Cloud? Zack looked up to see Cloud wobbling out of the chamber and came tumbling down towards Zack. "Cloud...you did it..." he replied as he tries to extend a hand to Cloud, but Zack passed out.

Zack opened his eyes a little to see Hojo looking at him, but he turns and begins to examine Cloud, who is on a stretcher carried by two Shinra infantrymen. "This one here...intriguing, most intriguing! He'll make a fine test subject!" he exclaims as Zack passes out again.


	10. Escape the Nightmare

Zack awoke to find himself staring face to face with Angeal. "You call yourself SOLDIER?" he asked, as the basement of Shinra Manor came into focus. "You tarnish the SOLDIER name!" he replied as he began to walk away. "Angeal!" Zack replied, as he tried to reach out for him, but he wasn't able to do anything to stop him. "Wait!" he yelled, but Angeal flew off and then Zack passed out.

A Shinra scientist walked into the laboratory, to find Zack laying face down on the floor in front of one of the containers. Shards of glass from the container Zack was in litter the floor. The scientist walked over to a passed out Zack, he began to look Zack over, but he got up and knocked him out. Slowly regaining his bearings, Zack made his way over to Cloud, who was still in one of the containers filled with mako. Zack looked at Cloud and pressed a button on the side of the container, and the mako fluid slowly began to drain from the container. The container door opened, an Cloud fell into Zack's arms. "Cloud." Zack replied.

Zack laid Cloud on the ground and decided to have a look around the laboratory. Walking over to the passed out scientist, Zack knelt down and searched the body for anything useful, but all he found was a key. Zack got back up and he saw something on an operating table in the laboratory, it was a research document. So Zack picked it up and read it.

Document 1

Analysis of Procedural Failure

Failed Case #1: SOLDIER 1st Class

Summary: Desired effect did not occur. Strong tolerance to Jenova cells due to SOLDIER conditioning assessed as cause.

Failed Case #2: Shinra Infanrtyman

Summary: Weak tolerance to Jenova cells led to toxicosis. Lack of response to outside stimuli suggest sever system damage. Recovery highly unlikely.

So that's what was happening to them while they were out, they were injected with some of Jenova cells, but it seems that whatever they were trying to have happen obviously failed. Zack knew that he and Cloud needed to escape Shinra Manor, so Zack put Cloud over his shoulders, and they left the basement of Shinra Manor. Zack laid Cloud, and he had a look around Shinra Manor.

Zack entered one of the rooms inside the manor and found a dresser in there, but it was locked. Zack remembered that he obtained a dresser key from the scientist he knocked out in the basement. Zack took the key and put it in the lock of the dresser, it fit, so he opened up the doors to the dresser and found a SOLDIER 1st Class uniform. "Ah, here we go! This will do nicely." Zack replied, knowing that Cloud must be soaked in his Shinra Infantryman uniform that was drenched from being in that container filled with mako.

Zack returned and picked up Cloud and he left Shinra Manor. Zack made his way back to what probably remained of the village of Nibelheim. Zack laid Cloud on the ground and entered what he thought remained of the smoldering village, but when he had a look around, the village was totally the same as when he first arrived in Nibelheim, Zack was confused. "What's going on...?" he wondered as he looked at all the buildings. "I saw this town reduced to ashes, but it's back to the way it was before..." Zack looked to see Shinra infantrymen running into the village of Nibelheim.

"It's a breakout! The professor's test subjects are escaping!" yelled one of the infantrymen. Zack readied the Buster Sword. "It'll take more than your average grunt to take me down!" he replied back. Zack saw more Shinra infantrymen come from behind, then he remembered about Cloud! He turned around, "Cloud!?" Zack yelled as an infantryman started dragging Cloud towards the entrance of Nibelheim.

Zack looked at all of the infantrymen in the village of Nibelheim and he knew that this was bad. If he failed to eliminate all of the infantrymen, they would take Cloud, and Zack would never see him again. "This is bad! I'd better take care of them quickly. I'm not gonna get caught again!" Zack yelled. Zack began to slowly chip away at the infantrymen, until there was only the one who was dragging Cloud. Zack ran to attack him, but the infantryman ran off. Zack became weak, and slumped down. "Whoa...what's wrong with me today? This cant be right... How could I be having trouble against these guys?" he wondered.

Zack returned to Coud and knelt down. He knew Cloud was in bad shape, as he dropped his head. Zack got up on his feet. "I'll have to return to the mansion to regroup." he said to himself. Zack put Cloud on his shoulders, and he slowly made his way back to Shinra Manor. "It's daytime, and we're still a little weak..." he explained to him. "Maybe we should wait rest until dark?"

Zack and Cloud entered the mansion, and carried Cloud up to the second floor where he put Cloud on one of the beds. Then Cloud said something, "Ngh..." he mumbled. Zack heard him grumble. "Cloud..." he replied. Then it just occurs to Zack, Cloud has never been exposed to mako. Zack begins to fear the worse as he examines him. "Could this be mako addiction...?" Zack wonders as he lays down on the floor. "Angeal... Am I just not capable of saving anyone?" Zack asks himself.

Zack sit up and looks up at Cloud. "All right! First, a change of close." he says as he gets up and walks over to him. "Those mako-soaked clothes will definitely not help you on your road to revovery. I found something good back there." Zack explains to him as he removes Cloud's mako-soaked Shinra Infantryman uniform and puts him into the SOLDIER 1st Class uniform. "It may not smell very good, but we can't be too picky right now." he replied. Zack looks at the new Cloud, now wearing a matching SOLDIER 1st Class uniform like his. "Looks pretty good on you."

Zack turns around, and pulls out a tiny piece of paper out of his pocket. Looking it over, it finally dawns on him as a vision plays in his head of his last encounter with Aerith. "They're tiny, but you have lots, right?" he remembers asking her and he remembers her replying. "That's, right wanna hear?" He remembers asking her. "How many you got?" He remembers her counting her fingers. "Hmm...twenty...three?" He remembered that there was no way that he'd remember 23 of her wishes. He remembers saying. "Write them down, so I don't forget." Finally he remembers her giving him the the piece of paper with her wishes for him. Zack never read what she had wrote down, so he opened up the piece of paper, and reads it. "I have twenty-three tiny wishes. But you probably won't remember them all, so I put them together all into one: I would like to spend more time with you." is what Aerith wrote on the piece of paper. Zack put the piece of paper back into his pocket. "Hey, Cloud. I...I have to go to Midgar." he explains to Cloud. "You wanna come with me?" he asks him.

It's finally nighttime when they return to the village of Niebelhiem, Zack sets Cloud down and he encounters a small squad of Shinra Infantrymen. "This is pretty rough..." he says before he defeats them with ease. Zack returns and picks up Cloud, and they leave the village of Nibelheim. They slowly trek through the Nibelheim countryside. "Damn it! There's no end to this." Zack exclaims as they reach a wooded area where he sets Cloud down. "Wait here a minute. I'm gonna take a look around." So he leaves Cloud and he goes and scouts the area ahead.

While wandering the Nibelheim countryside, when he sees the whole area ahead is swarming with Gun Bull Heads. So, Zack takes out the machines with a sniper rifle he finds laying on the ground. One by one, he destroyes the machines, but he only wishes that he'd be done soon due to the fact that his arms were getting tired from shooting the rifle. Zack finally destroyed the last Gun Bull Head and arrived at the ocean.


	11. This is My Job

Zack looked across the moonlight ocean, he knew that the Shinra Army was hot on their tail and it was only a matter of time until they were finally captured. It was probably too risky to return to Midgar, knowing that they were on the run.

"Huh... Where do I go from here?" he asked himself. "Can't do much when I got Cloud to worry about... Angeal...what should I do." Zack asked himself.

Cissnei began to sneak up on Zack, but Zack heard her footsteps in the sand of the beach. "Hey, Cissnei. Been awhile." he replied.

Cissnei stopped. She wanted to know for herself, if Zack, was one of the "fugitive sample" that escaped from Shinra Manor. "Zack..." she paused. "The fugitive sample...is it you?" She asked him.

Cissnei was correct, Zack was indeed the fugitive sample...along with Cloud. "It would appear so." he replied. Cissnei was speechless, she also wanted to know what the Shinra scientists did to him in the basement laboratory of Shinra Manor. ""What did they do to you in that place?" she asked Zack. "Well...this and that..." he replied as he turned to face her.

Zack knew that Cissnei wasn't here for just a friendly conversation with him, she was here for another reason, to take him into custody. "So, Cissnei, you're here to take us back, right?" he asked her.

Cissnei was devastated, she tried not to cry as she bowed her head. Zack tried to reason with Cissnei. "Please, just walk away!" he yelled as he clenched his fist. "I thought we could outrun the army, but the Turks are a different story!"

Cissnei didn't want to take him into custody, but she had a duty as a Turk. "Zack, I'm sorry..." she replied as she pulled out her Rekka. "This is my job." she replied. Zack was shocked to see that she was actually going to fight him. "If you want to escape, you have too..." she couldn't give up the guts to say kill me.

Cissnei closed her eyes and chucked her Rekka at him. Zack wielded the Buster Sword, and deflected it and her weapon landed behind her. Cissnei tried walking towards him, but Zack pointed his sword at her. "Step back." he ordered her, Cissnei stopped. "Next time...I'll really have to..." he replied, as he kept the sword pointed at her and he ran back to Cloud.

Zack returned to Cloud, who was still in his comma-like state. "The Turks are here, too. It's too dangerous to move now." he explained. "We'll rest here until morning. Then we'll leave at dawn." he added as he looked at him. "Eh, we'll be all right." Just then, Zack heard footsteps again. He turned around, it was Cissnei. "Cissnei..." he replied. Zack wielded the Buster Sword.

Cissnei's eyes gazed upon Cloud, who was the other fugitive sample that escaped as well. "Wait... He...he's the other sample that they collected at Nibelheim." she replied. Zack, who was getting impatient, wondered why she came back after he told her to stay away. "Why did you come here!?" he asked as he stepped between her and Cloud. "I told you to go away."

Cissnei could see that Cloud was in bad shape, so she wanted to know if he was okay. "He doesn't look well, Zack. Is he all right?" she asked. Zack knew that he was correct, Cloud, who has never been exposed to mako, has succumb to a sever case of mako addiction. "Mako addiction." he replied. "Sever case." Cissnei knew that Cloud got it from the experiments preformed on him back in Nibelheim. "The experiments, isn't it?" she asked as she looked away. "Yeah." Zack replied.

Cissnei pulled out her cellphone, flipped it open to called someone. Zack, thought that she was telling someone that she apprehended the targets. "Hey!" he yelled at her, but she put up her hand. "Tseng, I've lost the target." she replied. Zack was in shock that she just said a downright lie to Tseng. She put her phone away. "That's how it is...so get away safely." she replied to Zack and she began to walk away.

"Cissnei...thank you." Zack replied, she stopped. "Here's a present." she replied as she handed Zack some keys. "If you think you can trust me, then us it." she replied and she walked away, Zack watched as he smiled at her.


	12. He Just Ate My Hair

At dawn Zack and Cloud are speed towards Midgar in a Hardy-Daytona motorcycle, the motorcycle given At dawn Zack and Cloud are speed towards Midgar on a Hardy-Daytona motorcycle, the motorcycle given to him as a present from Cissnei. As they sped across a bridge, Zack was happy that he was finally on his way back to Midgar...and to Aerith. "Shinra makes good stuff!" he replied. However, Zack looked up and wished he didn't see what he just saw Genesis copies!

Two Genesis copies were on top of one of the trusses of the bridge. "Not again!" he replied as he brought the motorcycle to a screeching halt. Getting off the motorcycle, Zack wielded the Buster Sword. Zack made his way towards the two Genesis copies, who landed on the road below. Zack walked up to them, then someone kicked him from behind, Zack fell forward, but he rolled over and he was face to face with Genesis. The two Genesis copies grabbed Zack by his hair. "Get off me!" he ordered.

"Ow, my hair! Stop pulling!" he yelled at the copies, as Genesis quotes a verse from LOVELESS:

When the war of the beasts brings about the world's end

The goddess descends from the sky

Wings of light and dark spread afar

She guides us to bliss, her gift everlasting

Genesis finishes and puts the dumbapple that was in his hand, up to his cheek. One of the Genesis copies has some of Zack's hair in his hand. Zack turns to look at the copy. "That's my hair!" Zack replies. "You were a test subject in one of Hojo's new experiment. A modified version of Jenova's power runs through you." Genesis explains to Zack, who is in shock. He has Jenova cells in his body? "What? Seriously?" Zack replies.

Genesis makes a gesture with his hand, and the Genesis copy holding some of Zack's hair, the Genesis copy eats the hair. Zack can't believe what he just witnessed. The copy ATE his hair. "No way...he just ate my hair!" he exclaimed. "Your cells will be my gift to the goddess... The degradation will cease." Zack breaks out of the Genesis copies grip. "You...are twisted." he replies. Genesis's use for Zack has been served. "The monster has been harvested, and can be discarded." he replied, but Zack knows that the only monster there, is him. "You're the monster!" he responds.

Genesis doesn't seem to care, and quotes another verse from LOVELESS.

Legend shall speak

Of sacrifice at world's end

Genesis begins to walk away, Zack follows close behind him, as he begins to quote LOVELESS again.

The wind sails over the water's surface

Quietly, but surely

As Genesis finishes he flies off, one of the Genesis copies follows him, but the other one doesn't. So, Zack turns around to see the Genesis copy, the one that ate his hair, choking. The Genesis copy then got on its hands and knees and went through some weird transformation, a bright white light soon enveloped the copy. Once the transformation was complete, the Genesis copy transformed into a more hideous one called a G Eliminator. Zack wielded the Buster Sword, and killed the G Eliminator. The G Eliminator then began to be sucked up into the Lifestream.

Zack returned to the motorcycle to make the trek to Midgar, but before he did, he looked back at the disappearing Genesis copy. "Angeal...what do I do?" he asked as he got on the motorcycle and looked at Cloud. "Tell me..." he replied, and he went on his way him as a present from Cissnei.


	13. I'm Just an Angeal Copy

Zack was tossing a dumbapple up into the air as he walked over to him. Zack was finally happy to be reunited with his old mentor, Angeal, but it wasn't Angeal, It was actually an Angeal copied Lazard. sat up. "It's been a long time, Zack..." replied Lazard.

"So what happened? That thing wasn't so tough!" Zack replied. "I can't fight like a 1st. I'm just an Angeal copy." Lazard replied. "Copy?" Zack replied, a little confused. The Angeal copy got up. "It's Lazard." he replied. Lazard would go on to tell Zack that he was the one responsible for Hollander escaping from Junon. Zack was shocked, Why would he do something like that?

"So, you're the one who helped Hollander out of Junon? Why would you do such a thing?" he asked him. "To exact my revenge, I needed Hollander." he explained. "You really chose the wrong friends, didn't you?" Zack replied. "I agree." Lazard replied back. "I never thought I'd be turned into an Angeal copy." Well, just be happy you're linked to Project G."

"It's a strange feeling..." Lazard said. "Hm?" Zack replied. "The lust for vengence that had so consumed my life is all but gone now." Lazard replied. "In it's place...is a desire to help you, a desire to save Genesis..." he replied. "No, it's bigger than that. I...I want to save the world." Zack takes a few step forward, and wielded the Buster Sword. "Nothing strange about that." he replies as he raises the Buster Sword into the air. "Angeal lives inside you."

Lazard begins to ponder over Genesis obcession with obtaining the gift of the goddess, but he knows that he must be stopped for good. "Genesis is trying to obtain "the gift of the goddess," but was is it, exactly?" he asks. "No, whatever it is, he must be stopped."

Zack wished he knew what Genesis was talking about, but he didn't as he put the Buster Sword away. "I just don't understand what he's talking about at all. What should I do?" he asked Lazard. "Angeal may show us the way...perhaps." he replied.

"Maybe... I hope so, Director." Zack replied. Lazard smiled when he called him "Director". Lazard replied. "Huh, "Director"..." he paused. "So, Zack, what is your dream?" Zack thought for a moment. "Huh? Oh, let's see..." he paused, then he remembered. "To become a hero!" Lazard smiled as he replied. "Humph, unattainable dreams are the best kind." he replied.

Zack knew that him and Lazard could both become heroes, so he replied. "Oh, come on! Lend me a hand! You and angeal both. If we pull this off, we'll all be heroes! At the very least, I'd feel like one!" Lazard looked at Zack to see if he knew where Genesis was. "So, Zack, where is Genesis" he asked.

Zack looked at the dumbapple in his hand. Then he thought for a moment, Genesis always carried a dumbapple around, and dumbapples only grow in...Banora! "Oh!" Zack replied, as he showed Lazard the dumbapple. "I see..." Lazard replied, as a white feather dropped from his wing.


	14. Banora, The Return

Zack, Lazard and Cloud made their way towards what remained of the village of Banora. Along the way, Lazard explained to Zack why dumbapples only grow in the village of Banora.

"Dumbapples only grow in Banora." Lazard explained as they made the return to the ruined village of Banora. "Why?" Zack asked him. "Something to do with Banora's soil properties." Lazard replied.

Zack pulled up to the ruins of Banora on the motorcycle. "Genesis always carries a dumbapple around." Zack said to himself as he stopped. "I should have caught on quicker..." Zack added, as he got off and he turned off the engine.

"It's so different now..." Zack said, as he walked over to a cliff overlooking what remained of the entire village of Banora. As Zack looked on, Lazard swooped down for a landing. "Could you watch over Cloud for me?" Zack asked him. "Certainly." Lazard replied.

Something caught Zack's eye, as he looked towards the horizion. "Hm? What's that?" he wondered, as he could see something rising in the distance. Zack decided he should investigate it more.

Zack walked over to Cloud. "Ngh... Ugh..." Cloud mumbled. "Cloud, wait here, all right? I'll be right back." Zack told him, as he walked toward the outskirts of Banora, but Zack was still concerned for Cloud's safety. "Don't worry about Cloud." Lazard assured Zack. "I promise I will protect him."

With that said, Zack ventured forth towards the outskirts of Banora. Zack arrived at some ruins, which he recognized as the remains of the factory where he had hs first encounter with Genesis. At the back of the ruined factory was an opening in the floor leading to the basement.

Zack was getting ready to go down, but as he looked around the ruins, he noticed that there was no way of getting back up to the surface. Zack took a deep breath, and ventured down into the basement of the ruined factory.

While looking around the basement of the factory, Zack noticed a hole in one of the walls. "Was this...here before?" Zack wondered. "Where does it lead?"

Zack walked through the opening and he noticed a little office type area. Zack walked over, and noticed a book laying on the table. Picking it up, Zack opened it up, it was a photo album. Zack looked at one of the pictures.

First Prize: Banora White Juice  
>Processed Foods Category, National Agriculture Awards<p>

"Wow." Zack said to himself, as he read an insert. It read, "The idea to make this juice came from a Banora youth named Genesis."

Zack was still astonished. "Wow, just wow!" he says to himself as he reads some more. "Genesis comments: "I am very honored. Banora White juice tastes great, but the fruit itself is quite tasty as well. My dream is for my parents and me to serve the hero Sephiroth our apples one day. Since we are close in age, I would like to show him what I've accomplished in my life."

As Zack continues to read, a roar fills the room. Zack pauses, "Genesis..." he said to himself as he looks around. Closing the photo album, Zack placed it back on the table. "Is there anything I can do to save him...?" Zack wondered, as he looked at a tunnel leading deeper underground.

Zack walked down some stairs and found himself in an underground cavern, with numerous caves. Zack entered one of the caves, and he found himself in a room with a door that was blocked by three huge logs running across it. In the center of the room was a console.

Zack walked over and invetigated the console. "What does this console do?" he wondered. "There are seven indentations on the pedestal." he said as he pressed his hand on the console. "Give forth the Goddess Materia. The path shall be made clear." said a mysterious voice.

Zack wondered, perhaps the console had something to do with the block door. "If I set "Goddess Materia" In these indentations, maybe that door will open..."

Zack didn't have any of the "Goddess Materia" at the moment, so he went back and searched the entire cavern. After awhile, Zack found all seven of the Goddess Materia, and returned to the console. Zack place the seven Goddess Materia in the indentations. The three huge logs that were blocking the door moved away and the path was made clear. Well, sort of.

As the door opened up a Genesis copy came through the now cleared doorway and jumped over Zack's head and landed behind him. Zack grabbed the Buster Sword, battled it, defeated it and then walked over towards the door. Zack took a deep breath, and walked through the doorway ready for his final showdown with Genesis Rhapsodos.


	15. The Final Showdown

Zack entered the room, Genesis was standing in front of a statue. Zack noticed that Genesis's hair was completely white due to the degradation, there wasn't a strand of brown hair left. As Zack inched closer, Genesis read another verse from "LOVELESS."

"_My soul, corrupted by vengeance. Hath endured torment, to find the end of the journey. In my own salvation._"Genesis turned around. "You're late." he said. "LOVELESS" again?" Zack replied. Genesis, remembering all that had happened to Zack replies, "You have succeeded Angeal's spirit, and carry a part of Sephiroth with you. Thus, the three friends are reunited once again... and "LOVELESS" is reinacted."

Zack tries to make Genesis realize that this isn't "LOVELESS" and he needs to realize that, and says. "No! Open your eyes, Genesis!"

Genesis stares at Zack, and begins to quote LOVELESS again. "_When the war of the beasts brings about the world's end._"

"I...I've come here to help you." Zack replies trying to reason with him, but to no avail and Genesis continues. "_The goddess descends from the sky. Wings of light and dark spread afar_  
><em>She guides us to bliss, her gift everlasting.<em>"

As Genesis finishes, an orb begins to glow. "What is that?" Zack asks him with curiousity. "The gift of the goddess..." he explains. "A heavenly boon found only in Banora." Zack was confused, weren't Jenova's cells the gift of the goddess?

"I thought the cells were the gift!" Zack snaps at him. "There are various interpretations." Genesis replies. "I don't understand..." Zack responds.

"To ponder the mystery is in itself a gift..." Genesis explains. Raising up his black wing into the air. "We will all...join the lifestream..." Turning to Zack, who is looking around the room, trying to figure out what's happening. "You...are no exception. The planet...has become my guardian." Taking his sword, Genesis puts it in front of him, and hoists in up into the air and is swallowed up by a bright green light.

"Keep talking to me! Don't let it take over! You're not a monster, you're one of us!" Zack yells at him, but he doesn't listen, so Zack weilds the Buster Sword and charges at Genesis and yells, "Damn you!"

Genesis transformed himself into a gigantic Genesis copy. Zack knew he had to find a way to defeat Genesis once and for all, but how was he supposed to beat him? Zack tried to attack the monster with his materia, but it didn't seem to affect it.

Zack wondere as the monster plunged it's sword into the ground, maybe if he attacked the sword, would that defeat the Genesis copy? Only one way to find out. So, when the copy plunged the sword into the ground again, Zack went at stabbing and slashing at the sword, and after awhile, Zack defeated the Genesis copy.

After the battle, Genesis was back to his original self, his black wing was gone, his hair was brown again, and he was no longer degraded. "_My soul, corrupted by vengeance. Hath endured torment, to find the end of the journey. In my own salvation. And your eternal slumber._" he responded.

It finally occurred to Zack, that Genesis knew all of this from the beginning. The Jenova Project, Project G, Jenova cells, everything! Zack gasped. "Does this mean...you knew...from the beginning?" he asked him.

Pointing his sword at him, Genesis charged at Zack, but he moved out of the way. Genesis turned around and looked at him and replied. "Stand and fight, SOLDIER 1st Class Zack!" Zack let out a huge sigh and responded. "Why is everyone...always pushing things on me?" Zack pulled out the Buster Sword and was ready to face Genesis again. Genesis looked on at Zack with a smirk. The battle with Genesis was almost the same from when he first fought him back at Modeoheim, but Zack proved to be too much for Genesis, and he was defeated.

The statue began to crumble, as Genesis fell to the ground, his sword stabbed in the ground behind him. With Genesis finally defeated, Zack picked Genesis up and carried him back to Cloud and Lazard, who were waiting for him at the Banora ruins.


End file.
